Finding Time
by El Reino
Summary: Remus wants to find out more about the new Potions assistant. He is curious about her secrets as she seems to know all about his. Hermione just wants to do her job and get out. Their timing was never right. EWE. Marauders and an eventual build up to romance. Drabbles.
1. Stunning Hex

**Edited 5/15/13**: For posterity reasons.

**Author's Note to End Them All**:

Okay, so I know there are about a billion of these types of stories out there, but rabid plot bunnies are known for being… well _rabid_, so… Also, I am currently at university and it's kind of kicking my butt. This is just a little exercise to keep myself sane during finals. I cannot promise long chapters. That means these are _drabbles_ of a hundred words plus, not full chapters. It also means that I might be able to update at _least_ once a week, but no promises guys.

Sorry if that irks you but it's the best I can do at the moment. Any kind of feedback is welcome; just please remember I can't fix it if you don't tell me what's broke.

I kind of lifted the idea of drabbles from the Inuyasha community. Especially from Forthright, whose constant drabble updates keep me on the edge of my seat. She has a story called _Unspoiled _that also deals with time travel, but anything lifted from that is completely unintentional. I would like to credit her just in case.

No beta, please excuse any mistakes. I'm not the best at Marauder trivia either, so if you see anything off or weird please let me know.

Aaand that is it for all the housekeeping details. Thank you very much. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: Wouldn't the life of a full-time, super successful author be grand? I think so, but first I have to go to school to even consider pretending to be Rowling. No money is being made from this.

**oOo**

He was changing, _morphing_ and he had no clue where his friends were. The wolf was tearing at him from the inside, trying its damnedest to get out. He was gasping for air in between howls of agony.

And then she was there before him. Her slender fingers were surprisingly strong as she pinched his nostrils together and forced his head back. Unable to breathe, his mouth fell open even as his claws started forcing their way out of his nail beds. Every one of his nerve endings was on fire and then he was choking on a rancid substance.

She poured every last drop of it down his throat, watching as he fought between trying to hack it up and not suffocating on it. He tried to swipe at her, but she let him go and swirled out of the way of his emerged claws.

He fell to his knees, hacking and groaning and shuddering. It was a strange feeling, being so aware of the transformation, actually. He stared at the hairs on his arms as they became coarser and denser. In all honesty, he should have been taken over by the wolf already.

The wolf was only present physically.

Remus looked up at the girl with wide eyes. _How am I still here_?

She stood in the Shack, with the hood of her dark robes drawn deep over her face. Remus' senses adjusted until he could see the filtered moonlight glint off her irises. Bright tawny eyes looked back at him, soft in their compassion. He greedily took in her scent and filed the information in the more primal part of his brain.

There was a sound of a dog barking and despite him trying his best to track her, she disappeared.

**oOo**

Unsurprisingly, Sirius Black noticed the new woman in Potions first. None of his friends were particularly surprised. It did not help matters that she was very pretty. She was not drop-dead gorgeous. Instead, she had one of those faces that Remus would pleasantly notice if he passed on the street. Little bow lips, a straight nose and spattering freckles-visible from even his spot- all endeared her to him. Sirius threw himself into his seat and sent a glance to Remus, wiggling his eyebrows. Padfoot approved.

Professor Shaw waited until everyone was seated before sending a large grin their way. "Okay, simmer down, simmer down. I have someone very important to introduce." The professor motioned to the stranger standing staunchly in the front of the classroom. "This is Miss Grey. She is a recent graduate from a small girl's academy out in Wales and is interning with me in the hopes of becoming a Potions master herself. Let us please say hello."

The students dutifully gave off a small greeting, with some-_Sirius_-being more enthusiastic than the others.

The girl smiled primly in response, but her straight posture seemed to imply that she would rather have been somewhere else. Physically, the new addition looked to just a smidgeon older than the seventh years in the class, early twenties at the latest. Miss Grey's gaze roved around the room, arresting the people she touched with it. Her eyes looked ancient.

"She will be sitting and observing your classes as well as aiding me in anything I need. So be nice, because she will be grading your essays!" There was a snigger and Professor Shaw caught it right away. "_Potter_!" She reprimanded before going on to outline the lesson for the day.

Professor Shaw's assistant quietly slipped to the edge of the classroom. As she moved, she briefly matched Remus' stare. Her tawny eyes worked better than any stunning hex.

**oOo**

Words: 610


	2. Cool Dismissal

All credit for any Harry Potter properties goes to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Enjoy!

oOo

Remus wanted to know more about this strange woman. But, he reasoned, with N.E.W.T.s preparation and fighting senior class apathy, it might be hard to find the time.

Deep inside, he knew the real reason was that he had an irrational fear that he would get so flustered by the pretty woman that he would end up looking like a complete tosser. Thankfully, Sirius did not have such qualms. He strutted up to Miss Grey's desk in the corner of his room and introduced himself with a flourishing bow. Remus stood in the Potions doorway with a grinning James, watching. They couldn't hear the conversation but they could definitely _see_ what was going on.

Miss Grey looked the boy up and down before her attention flicked down to the parchment in front of her in cool dismissal. Professor Shaw shook a disapproving finger as her student passed.

"Now don't try to distract my apprentice!" She tutted. "I do not need you to scare her away just yet!"

Sirius slunk over to his friends, dejectedly. Peter met them in the hall before asking excitedly: "So did you even get her first name?"

"No," Padfoot pouted before swiftly rebounding. "But I will!"

Words: 200


	3. Mission Explained

**Edited 5/15/13:** For my sanity's sake.

All credit for any Harry Potter properties goes to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

A _huge_shoutout goes to Smithback for reviewing and to floatsodelicately, mintplum and nyny412 for already following these tiny chapters already. Thank you!

Enjoy!

oOo

Dumbledore carefully inspected the letter from McGonagall before pinning Hermione with a searching stare. "'A fact-finding mission?'" He quoted.

Hermione gave a sharp nod. "Yes, Sir. It's Ministry sanctioned but I did use Hogwarts' Time Turner to get here."

His lips were pursed. "What exactly do you hope to learn?"

It was in the letter but Hermione did not mind explaining. "I am just collecting memories. I am sorry to say, but some of the students here are not as… vibrant in the future as they are now. We're conducting some research into the concept of restoring a person's mental capabilities. We have a lot of the concept of the spells down, but the research staff and I realized that to restore a person's mind to its original state, we need to see how they acted before. In a natural environment."

A nod. "I understand. And are you quite sure you will not tell me who these students are that you will be observing?"

Hermione winced. It was hard enough talking to a dead man; much less keep things from him. "Quite sure, Headmaster. I was sent here with specific instructions to keep as much information as possible to myself. I am only going to be an observer, a record for a Pensieve. Nothing more. "

He nodded and the parchment briefly crackled under his fingers. "It gets worse before it gets better, does it not, Miss?"

"Yes."

The headmaster gave one brave nod to shake off the despair before the twinkle returned to his eyes. "Now, Miss Grey. What we shall do with you?"

A frazzled Potions professor had flown into the office then. She started demanding help to deal with the _creatures_ that plagued her dungeons and Dumbledore turned to Hermione with a small smile.

"How about Potions?"

Words: 300


	4. Settling In

**Edited 5/15/13: **For my sanity's sake.

All credit for any Harry Potter properties goes to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Wow, you guys are great! My hat goes off to JulPer12 and Caraxian for putting this on your alerts. Also, it's super cool that Caraxian put this on their favorites list _already_. It's great to see all of your support (even if you just read it, that still means a lot). Thank you!

Enjoy!

oOo

Hermione was pleased to note that even in the Wizarding world, inflation still existed. So when Dumbledore offered school funds to provide Hermione with any necessities including clothing, she respectfully declined. The galleons Kingsley had provided for her were sufficient to keep her for a few months. As much as she was honored to be offered to be put on the payroll, she felt it was too much. She was the one imposing on them.

Another matter was her private quarters. She was placed into a small set of rooms in the basement. It was a short walk from the dungeons, and Hermione wondered if she was placed near the Sytherin common room. After watching a surprising number of Hufflepuffs passing by, she suspected differently. It was a nice little flat. She had to pass through a large portrait of a smiling wizard that never failed to greet her warmly. There, she would pass into a small hallway that opened up to a cavernous room where some comfortable couches were arranged around a roaring fire. Another door opened up to a loo, the other to a large bedroom with a sizable desk in the corner. Everything was in shades of comfortable browns and brass and it made Hermione smile. She very much liked this whole place. It was extremely cozy.

The only thing she had to worry about now was her clothes. She had brought a slew of necessities in a bag that had an undetectable extension charm on it. The robes she had brought had been transfigured to match the ones the professors wore but she tried to avoid changing her Muggle clothing. As much as she liked the thought of changing her jeans to _bellbottoms_… Well, actually, she hated the thought.

She could hear Ron's snickers from over twenty years away.

It seemed the only thing she could do was go to Hogsmeade. Surely they had wizarding clothing that she could wear that were possibly less _faddish_. That way she could walk around in her rooms and possibly around the halls after curfew without sticking out like a sore, futuristic thumb.

One problem with trying to get new robes was finding the time. The only choice she had at this point was to go when the students went to Hogsmede that weekend. Hermione resisted this mostly because she was a grown woman and for some reason the thought of wandering around with a bunch of kids crowding the streets made her crumple up her nose.

It was a good thing she could apparate. At least she didn't have to take the carriages. Thinking of being pressed up next to a smelly teenager, she thanked Godric for small mercies.

Words: 450


	5. Bleeding Hearts and Teenaged Professors

**Edited 5/15/13: **For my poor sanity's sake.

All credit for any Harry Potter properties goes to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

So this chapter is a little longer than last time, mostly because I wanted to pick up the pace a little. As always, a big thanks goes out to anthraquinblue, LadyAlyseB630 and BooDiamond for putting their faith in me and placing this little story on their alerts. The story picks up from here, so hopefully you guys like (and if you're confused or anything, please don't hesitate to ask)!

*Also, sorry if you got a previous alert for this chapter. I realized after posting this that half of the words were missing and in the wrong tense.

Enjoy!

oOo

"Oi mates, I'll see you in a bit, yeah?" James asked as he threw an arm over Lily's shoulders to pull her close.

Sirius looked like he wanted to protest, but none of them had the heart to deny James any time with Lily after he worked so hard to just get her not to hate him.

Remus answered for them with a small smile. Grinning widely and winking, the bespectacled boy and his girlfriend melted into the Hogsmede crowds.

Sirius sighed and clapped his remaining friends on their shoulders. "I guess it's just us then, lads. Where to first?"

oOo

Hermione didn't know it at the time, but her first accidental stab at changing the future came when she happened across a gangly boy with lanky black hair and a nose too large for his face. She couldn't resist the fond look that she threw his way. It might be a little hypocritical of her, but knowing what her old Potions professor did for the war effort definitely upped her esteem of him. And well, he was still so _young. _She didn't like to pretend that her twenty three years meant that she was suddenly light years ahead of the Hogwarts students in the realm of maturity. But she had enough years out of the school to realize that Hogwarts was only a small part of the bigger picture.

What happened in school, surprisingly, was not everything. If only more people realized that.

Severus looked so different compared to the middle aged man she had last seen. The frown lines on his face were not as deep and even though his eyes seemed terribly bitter, the fact that he was showing emotion at all was shocking. The tiny crow's feet around his eyes were gone and Hermione smiled when she realized he hadn't yet grown into his nose.

She patted her satchel-she had unfortunately lost her beaded bag back in the future-which held all of her newly purchased clothing along with reams of parchment, ink, fresh quills and a couple of new books that she had been delighted to find. There was nothing like seventies wizarding literature, if only to compare how the common intelligence had or had not changed over the years.

That was for another time, though. This time, she was seized with the sudden urge to talk to the unhappy little boy who would turn out to be one of the greatest heroes of them all.

In a small corner of her mind, she hoped that maybe she could just talk to him and maybe even make him smile. She had never seen him do such a thing when he was older. Was it too late? Was his bitterness too deep?

Good Godric, if only Harry knew that she was having these weird urges to make Severus Snape, the greasy Sytherin git, _happy._ He would definitely check her into St. Mungo's without hesitation.

But there was nothing for it. She approached the teen bravely.

"Mister Snape?"

It was when he sneered up at her, a lock of hair falling over his eyes, that she realized she didn't know what to say. How does one be friendly with such an unhappy person?

Suddenly, something clicked and all her doubts fled. He was just an unhappy boy. Not a Death Eater or a spy or an angry professor.

The lonely first year in her could relate to that.

The words came easier to her now.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I ask you a few questions about your plans for the future."

oOo

"There she is!" Peter breathed. He was not as interested in the mysterious Miss Grey in the same strange ways Sirius and Remus were, but he knew that encouraging it could lead to great fun.

Sirius tore his gaze from his spoils from the joke shop up the street. He had been brooding a little with the absence of James, but now, the spark was back in his eyes.

As much as Remus tried to stop it, he couldn't help immediately searching her out as well. She had been around for scarcely two weeks and she had been stuck in his head the whole time. Every time they had Potions class, she had been there.

Remus had tried to discreetly get close enough to pick up her scent. He had to know who this woman was. The thought that she could be the same woman in the Shack was burning him. All he had was a vague memory of her eyes, but Moony remembered her scent strongly. Every time he got close, however, she smelled like potions ingredients and the musty scent that came from spending a long time in the dungeons.

Here, in the fresh air, this might be his chance to finally solve the mystery.

If she was, he had to thank her. That woman had given him something that was beyond measure. She had given him his _mind_ when he was nothing more than a savage husk of instincts and anger. That meant more to him than he would ever be able to describe.

The werewolf was quick to pick her out of the crowd, along with someone else surprising.

"Eugh, what is she doing with _Snivellus_?" Sirius asked.

Remus' fists clenched before he knew that he was jealous. He tried to take a deep breath to calm himself. There was no need to be angry and he was rather shocked at the feeling.

Her arresting eyes were locked on Snape, a small smile trying to escape out of the corners of her mouth. The cold woman hadn't even _looked_ at Remus, except to comment on a mistake or two. What had the prickly Sytherin done that the werewolf had not?

Sirius sent both his friends a grin too devious for anyone's good. "Let's say hello, shall we?"

The pair stood in the shadows of the Raging Bull, a small pub that the younger students were shooed away from and the older students snuck in to watch the brawls that happened without fail. Remus wondered if Miss Grey came from the pub or if she had just been passing by. Although he was finally of age, the thought that she was older than him-and able to patronize a pub with a dubious reputation whenever she felt like it- didn't sit as well as it did before.

Snape was facing away from them, but while his shoulders were still hunched, his body language did not seem as stiff as it usually did. Before Remus could analyze this, Sirius was striding up and clapping Severus on the back.

"Snape!" He exclaimed like they were old friends. "How is being in the sun working out for you, eh? Thought it was bad for your complexion?" While the delivery was jovial and lightly teasing, everyone involved could hear the hidden bite.

To Remus' dismay, Miss Grey raised a disapproving brow. Her eyes flicked behind the group to the town proper.

"I believe, boys, that it is time for everyone to start heading back." Her face had slipped back into that stoic persona that she always wore. She was cordial but never friendly, even when she seemed pleased that someone had finished a potion correctly.

Feeling rebuked, Remus nodded and even Sirius pulled away. Snape's face was full of hatred as he glared daggers at the three Marauders. Peter was the first to turn away and hightail it back. Knowing that he ran the risk of getting reported, Sirius also gave a nod and a smile to the woman before leaving. Remus was soon to follow but slowed when Miss Grey asked Severus to stop for a moment.

"My offer for extra tutoring still stands. It's your N.E.W.T. year and you show a lot of promise. Just think about it," she said softly before reaching over and flicking something off of the boy's shoulder. An all too familiar Barhman's Boils joke talisman glinted in the sun before arcing gracefully to the ground. Ashamed that she had caught the Marauders so easily, Remus got out of there before she looked back up at him.

oOo

Hermione did not mean to change the future. But she did. When Snape considered working for the Order or just sparing Voldemort the trouble and ending it all himself, he couldn't help but remember the innate kindness of the human race. He remembered Lily with his tender love, he remembered Dumbledore's lack of hatred and the assistant in seventh year whom complimented without empty flattery and watched his back without asking for anything in return.

No one realized it, but in the previous timeline, Severus had gone through with a suicide attempt. He had failed, but had tried.

This time around, he didn't.

Words: 1,460


	6. Alice

Edited: 5/9/13 for Alice

All credit for any Harry Potter properties goes to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

I have to admit, I was a little stunned at how many people responded in different ways to the last chapter. Huge thanks goes to Angel Girl5, Caraxian and the guest for reviewing the last chapter! Also, thank you to warewolf-princess558750, oceanluvr, PeaceLoveUnicorns94, GoldenKeeper2567 and Boo Diamond for putting this on their alerts. Lastly, thanks to warewolf-princess558750 and rose246 for putting this on their favorites list.

Enjoy!

oOo

The dungeons looked different. Shaw had torches going and fresh air was being filtered in from somewhere, flushing out the heavy smell of the potions reactions. It was almost… pleasant.

Hermione almost giggled at the thought that Snape's domain was once just a really pleasant classroom. Knowing that she would most likely be sharing these memories with Harry later, she clamped down on the urge to do anything embarrassing.

It was three weeks into the school year so there was already a good backlog on potions essays. Hermione checked them over without really paying attention. She was too busy thinking about her mission. How was she going to ingratiate herself with a fifth and seventh year? Putting down her quill, she idly rubbed at a red ink stain on one of her knuckles.

Even though she had only been with the Ministry for little over two years, school still seemed like such a long time ago. She remembered the stress of exams and of trying to desperately keep up with all her work very well.

It was just… she wasn't very good at relating to students anymore. She had watched as girls giggled in the back and the guys horsed around and realized that she was completely out of her depth. How did she make friends with these people if their worries encompassed whether Alden Zacks would finally work up the courage to ask Margret Lewis out to Hogsmede or not? At their age, she had been chasing the soul of a madman. How could she approach these kids and become their friend when she still looked at everyone and tried to see if they were a potential Death Eater?

Shuffling footsteps broke the silence and Hermione's hand darted under the table, hovering over her wand. Professor Shaw had left to her quarters and Hermione kept vigil in the classroom until it was time for dinner.

"Professor Shaw?" A soft voice called.

Hermione took a calming breath before responding. "I'm sorry, she left for a tic."

A thin girl with mousy brown hair shuffled into the torchlight. Her smile was heartbreaking in its brightness and familiarity. "Oh, sorry. I was just trying to get some help."

A piece of the puzzle fell into place. "Help?" Hermione inquired.

The girl waved it off. "I'm just… Well, I'm a dope at potions and I was just goin' to ask Professor Shaw for some help."

Hermione tried not to get too excited. "What year are you in?"

"Fifth."

Hermione smiled kindly. "Well, if you need any help or tutoring, I would be glad to help you."

The girl's eyes widened. "Oh no, you don't have to-"

"It's what I'm here for," Hermione smoothly interjected. She would not let this opportunity go to waste. "Grading papers and helping students."

The fifth year only took a few seconds before a relieved smile blossomed on her face. "Well if you're sure, that'd be a gift."

Hermione allowed herself a moment of triumph before clapping her hands together once. "Good! Now, just bring in your timetable along with your old assignments and we can work out a schedule on when to meet and how often."

"Thank you so much, Miss!"

"It's my pleasure, Miss…?"

"Alice. Alice Hart."

With that, Hermione was one step closer to her goal.

Words: 550

oOo

Coming up: The Marauders declare war on Miss Grey.


	7. Declaring War

All credit for any Harry Potter properties goes to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Ungh, you guys are awesome. I honestly did not expect my first Harry Potter fic to go so well. Thank you! A shout-out to my reviewers: Angel Girl5, warewolf-princess558750, Caraxian and Smithback. Also, thank you quattrecskids for putting this on your story alert!

Enjoy!

oOo

Miss Grey was a nuisance. The woman was a silent sentinel that stood in the shadows of the classroom. She always wore an emotionless expression but was soft spoken and her words were never harsh when someone asked why their potion was turning bright purple instead of light blue. If Professor Shaw did not need her help, Miss Grey instead sat at an empty table shoved in the corner of the classroom and marked essays without looking up once.

Despite that, she always seemed to know when someone was raising their hands.

She always seemed to know when the Marauders were up to no good as well.

Sirius was still hell bent on charming the intern, so he managed to convince his friends to lay off the welcome for a while. Instead, all of their attention was turned to raising the blood-pressure of the jittery Potions Professor. It was dishearteningly easily.

Well, it had been for six years running. Until Miss Grey turned up.

The aide was everywhere. When the contents of a classmate's cauldron had been charmed to explode, Miss Grey was guiding the Professor away seconds before they got covered in skin-staining goop. When the parts of a dissected salamander suddenly reformed to chirp a stirring love song, Miss Grey did not even look up from her essays. She just flicked her wand to dismantle it before it even got the first note out.

_Every bloody time_. Every _single_ time they tried something, Miss Grey was there to frustrate their plans.

Even the lovebirds noticed. Lily was delighted at this hilarious turn of events. James, even with his position as Head Boy could not let this stand. He turned to his friends with a familiar smile.

"This means war."

Bothered beyond belief at this newcomer, the Marauders agreed.

Words: 300

oOo

Coming up: The Marauders find out why ("_harmless_") breaking and entering is not easy when Miss Grey is involved.


	8. Wards

All credit for any Harry Potter properties goes to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

I think if I start gushing, my author's note might turn out longer than the chapter haha. So (ENORMOUS) thanks to: Caraxian, Angel Girl5, Smithback and gemini-rose16 for reviewing; Whiskey-eyes and pagegirl661 for putting this on your faves; and to Illa 321, emmyemmy1234, flyingberry, gemini-rose16, leeelia, qlimegreen, silverotter95 and sonshine for putting this on your story alerts!

Enjoy!

oOo

It had been admittedly a little difficult to find her rooms. Their usual antics of discreetly tracking her actually did not work. She seemed to disappear randomly on them. It was only the combined efforts of asking students who saw her around curfew and plying some of the ghosts that led to the reveal of her location. They had not realized the portrait had a Notice-Me-Not charm on it until they conned the Fat Friar into admitting that it did. Seeing that as child's play, they quickly overcame it by sheer force of will.

They checked her schedule that they had written up. Miss Grey was in the dungeons for the third-years' lecture, and according to the parchment, she went from there straight to the great hall for supper.

The pictured wizard frowned heavily down at them. He adjusted his ruffled collar and flicked a curly lock of dark hair over his shoulder.

"And just what are you doing here while the Lady is not around, Gentlemen?"

Sirius grinned. James and Remus were casting small charms to see how difficult the password was going to be to crack while Peter stood guard.

"Oh nothing really," Padfoot shrugged. "Just going to leave a little present is all."

The portrait glared darkly at the boys before James recoiled with a yelp.

"Merlin's pants!" He hissed and clutched his wand arm.

Everyone else except the portrait jumped.

"What happened?" Peter questioned.

Remus tested the air with a few practiced movements and his eyes widened. "Wards… They're like nothing I've ever seen!"

"They bloody stung me!" James complained, looking at his hand in despair.

Seeing nothing on the boy's hand, Sirius snorted. "Don't be such a baby, Prongs." With a decisive move, he sent a strong dismantling hex that could tear the wards off the headmaster's office, much less the rooms of a teaching assistant.

The repercussions were swift and left Remus' hair standing on end. Sirius was caught mid air and thrown to the other side of the hall. Sliding a few good feet, he moaned when he came to a stop.

"What the fuc-" He started.

"Serves you lot right!" The portrait chortled. "A gentleman never goes into a lady's quarters! Much less the quarters of Miss Grey!"

"Shut up!" Peter threatened and James sneered.

Remus was already by Sirius' side, prodding the lump that had formed on the back of the animagus' head. "You alright, mate?"

Frowning over the loss of a good portion of his ego, Padfoot shrugged Remus off.

"Who the _hell_ wards their quarters like that?" Sirius fumed.

James was peering at the portrait with a new gleam in his eye. Adjusting his glasses, he stoutly replied: "Someone with something to hide."

Remus knew it. He always loved cracking a good mystery, and if this would help him understand the elusive Miss Grey…

Well, who better to dig up secrets than someone who had an abundance of them himself?

It seemed the Marauders had a case to solve.

Words: 500

oOo

Coming up: A war hero gets the jitters.


	9. Grass

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Hello lovelies. I apologize for not posting earlier but I had to take a step back and examine how I wanted to pace this thing. I had a little more written, but upon closer examination, I realized that maybe I was rushing things a bit.

As always, much gratitude goes to warewolf-princess558750, qlimegreen and Angel Girl5 for reviewing; to ThePublicSector, firefly81 and aminadawn for putting this on their alerts; and to YummyChocolate17 for "fav"ing this!

Enjoy!

oOo

Hermione felt something prod her wards and her hand clenched reflexively around her spoon. She had the old wartime wards up. Anything from Muggle repellents to things far fiercer were protecting her rooms.

She knew in the pit of her intellectual mind that Hogwarts was _safe _-in this time at least. But even that knowledge did not stop her heart from adopting a nervous staccato. Her hand gripped her spoon tighter as she tried to calm her breathing.

It almost worked until she could feel something wickedly strong jolt her wards to their core. She jumped. The litany she had been trying to suppress became louder as it ran itself over and over in her mind.

_Danger, danger, danger_-

"Are you quite alright, Dear?" McGonagall peered over at her.

Hermione, despite her best efforts, was stuck between Shaw and McGonagall. When she had realized that she was going to be seated at the Head table, she thought it would not be so bad, as long as she did not have to sit with any of the teachers from her time. But Shaw had not taken no for an answer and had pulled Hermione over.

It pained her a little to be in such close proximity to McGonagall. She wanted so badly to talk to the teacher she had come to consider as a mentor and a friend.

There was nothing for it, the witch supposed. Instead of shying away, Hermione took pains to be polite and had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from being too friendly.

"I am fine, thank you." The younger woman smiled and dabbed at her face with a napkin. "I was just daydreaming."

McGonagall chuckled and traded a meaningful look with Shaw. "I am sorry dear. I know it must be difficult sitting between two old women and their boring conversations."

"Oh you're not old at all!" Hermione protested.

Shaw just patted her hand. "You are too kind, Missus Grey. But you do look a bit peaky. Surely you could pop off right now and nobody would blame you."

Hermione's heart was still doing that _thump-ba-dump_ beat in time with the "_danger, danger, danger,"_ and she swallowed down the discomfort. "If you wouldn't mind Professor Shaw, Professor McGonagall?"

They waved her off. She muttered a quick "Excuse me." and practically ran down to her quarters. If something was trying to attack her or her rooms, she would be extremely _cross_.

oOo

"It was a group of unruly gentlemen." The portrait informed grumpily. "Yet, your wards held up magnificently!"

Hermione could not bring herself to pocket her wand even if there was no real threat. "A group of boys?"

"Troublemakers," he waved it off. "That lot they call the Marauders, I believe. They were trying to come in here and 'give you a present,' although we both know that nothing good can come out of such a flagrant disregard for rules or common decency!"

Hermione slumped. Even her hair felt like it was standing on end. All of that fear and it was just a prank? Godric's ghost, she was high strung.

Coming off of the adrenaline high, she suddenly felt very tired as her blood pumped sluggishly through her veins. With all her energy gone, she did not particularly even feel like being angry. This mission had been more difficult than she had imagined.

"Are you quite alright, Madam?"

She roused herself and gave her portrait friend her best smile. "I am, thank you Augustus. I'm sure you gave them a proper telling off."

He colored a bit. "I only defended your honor. Your capabilities in spell casting did the rest. They were very wonderful spells, by the way."

She smiled and patted his golden frame, feeling better already. "Thank you again."

"No problem, my Lady."

With a quick whisper of her password, Hermione ducked into her rooms. A quick nap would do her some good.

Words:650

oOo

*Note about chapter lengths: As I have been approached about it more than once, I feel it should be addressed. As I said in both my summary and in the first chapter, these are_ drabbles_ and will stay that way.

They are deliberately short. This is intentional.

However, I would like to post longer chapters. I really would because I am frankly not used to a story going this slow, or a scene taking so long. I just do not have the time. Even _thinking_ about expanding this one delayed me a couple of days. There is nothing wrong with asking for longer chapters and I hope I did/do not come off as grumpy when I discussed/currently discuss it. The matter of it is that I would rather write painfully short chapters and update frequently than write six to twelve pages and take years to update-like with my other fics.

Thank you for your patience. But please do not waste your time asking for longer chapters. I might be offering you meager portions, but the plan is to hopefully satisfy everyone sooner.


	10. I Solemnly Swear

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Thanks as always goes to Smithback for reviewing; to nikkistaria for following; and to Nariel Helyanwe for putting this on their favorites! Also, I think I forgot to thank LaClaireFolie for putting this on their favorites as well! Sorry, I still do appreciate it!

Enjoy!

oOo

"…I am up to no good." James finished whispering as his friends grouped around him, staring into the Map. Ink swirled as everything took shape. There were the classrooms, the students still eating in the Great Hall, a few teachers taking luncheon at their desks.

They searched for one name in particular. And searched… and searched… and… searched?

"Is it just me," Peter started, "or is Miss Grey _not_ on the Map?"

It seemed he was the only one brave enough to admit it. She was not in the Great Hall, or in her rooms, or the dungeons, or even outside on the grounds.

The boys looked at each other with wide eyes. Why was she invisible to the map that laid everyone bare?

They all had a sinking feeling in their stomachs and even Remus tried to warn himself away from jumping to conclusions. But the facts were there. She was trying very desperately to hide something.

oOo

It was part of a very detailed plan. She could not go into the past pretending to be someone else while there was a map that betrayed her real name. Even taking another name would not be enough. Scabbers had been the prime example. In true Hermione form, she had tried to see if there was a way to make _humans_ Unplottable. It took many months, but it was a great success for her. Also for Harry and Ron, who had been pestered for years by adoring fans and not-so-adoring detractors. If the Trio were not getting letters laced with love potions, they were getting parchments laced with nasty hexes from those who thought well enough should have been left alone.

With Hermione's breakthrough, they had gotten their privacy and she had marked an issue off her list to travel. Never did she think the Marauders would become interested in her.

No matter. The witch was sure nothing would come of it.

Words: 320

oOo

Coming up: It's getting close to the full moon. Will Remus confirm his suspicions?


	11. Caught

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

This is a really rushed posting so I'll have to thank everyone next time instead. Sorry. But each alert and favorite lets me know people are actually reading this, and every review gives me motivation to write as much as possible. You guys are great.

Enjoy!

oOo

"There's nothing for it, mate."

"But how can she not be on the Map, Prongs? I just don't get it!"

Remus and Peter exchanged tired glances. They had all been running the situation over and over in their minds. Maybe the Map was broken. Maybe the charms were not as strong. Maybe she had a charm placed on her. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

"Did you ask Lily yet?" Peter questioned, trying to keep his friends from going in the same circles once again.

James nodded. As much as they hated to admit it, Lily's skills with charms could easily dwarf their own. They asked her if she could see about strengthening the ones on their Map.

"She said she could help tomorrow but today she has an essay to write for Herbology."

Remus looked down at the book in his lap and rubbed at his eyelids until he saw stars. His friends had spent at least a week being offended that they did not stop to ask _why_.

_Why_ was Miss Grey trying to hide? _What_ was she trying to hide?

He almost felt obligated to know.

This whole situation was giving him a headache. Was Miss Grey the same woman that had given him that potion last full moon? If so, what was it? What had it done to him, exactly? Why would she give it to him and then never talk to him about it? Who else knew he was a werewolf? Was it common knowledge among the teachers?

His nails dug into his palms. Recalling himself, he looked out the windows in the Common Room. Waxing gibbous. The moon would be full tomorrow.

Deciding that his headache was just going to get worse if he continued to sit here with James and Sirius bickering, he said his goodbyes and headed up to bed. An owl was waiting patiently outside his window.

Remus let it in and offered it a bird treat for its troubles. Instead, it dropped something cold in his palm before taking off immediately.

"Well alright then," he chuckled, before stopping cold. A oversized green vial lay in his palm with a small piece of parchment attached.

_For Remus_, it read simply. He turned it over with eager fingers. On the back it read: _Take right before the transformation. Every last drop counts._

He scrambled over to the trunk next to his bed. Digging in it, he pulled out a corrected Potions essay and slumped.

The handwriting was not the same.

He fell back onto his bed and sighed. In some weird way, he had hoped Miss Grey was the stranger who had helped him. She was… well she seemed like a very nice person. Very knowledgeable.

He laughed at himself. "Be honest, Moony." He kind of liked her. If she had given him a potion that helped him… well didn't that mean that _she _liked _him_ enough to brew something for him?

Cursing school boy crushes; he threw the note on the bed and tucked the potion into his school robes for tomorrow.

_Charms_.

The realization hit him in the middle of casting a cleaning charm over his teeth. Practically vaulting over James' bed, he scrambled back to his bed. Snatching up the note, he tried to cast the spell. Realizing his mouth was full of foam, he spit it out and tried again.

There it was. A blue glow showed that concealing the note was a familiar spell that they had picked up in fourth year. It could change someone's handwriting. Casting the counter charm, his lips pulled upwards into a smug grin.

_Gotcha._

Words: 600

oOo

Coming up: The Marauders figure out how to handle their Grey problem.


	12. Finding Remus First

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Thanks to Angel Girl5, Caraxian, flyingberry and Emmaline341 for reviewing! You really inspire me to write. Also thanks to Rose-Blue775, in transit, nikkistaria, westwingnut221, Emmaline341, Usami Mandy, christalla431 and thejulilin for putting this on their alerts; and to christalla431 for putting this on their favorites list!

Enjoy!

oOo

When he finally recovered after the full moon, Remus began to watch Miss Grey like a hawk. He was utterly flabbergasted by her. She _knew_ what he was and she did not respond like she should have. She did not shun him or act scared of him.

She treated him exactly like everyone else. It was liberating and shocking.

And the potion she gave him… _Merlin_. He was _there_. He was dressed loosely in wolf's skin, but was able to process things and not blindly attack anything that moved. The potion tasted worse than the Great Squid's arsecrack and there was so much of it that he felt he could swim in it rather than drink it. Yet, it wasn't a bad tradeoff for sentience.

His friends had noticed his new docility but Remus had waved it off. They would have thought he was bloody bonkers for taking an unidentified potion from a source they didn't trust.

Remus trusted her. Even though he had no clue where she was getting this potion, or where she was from, or how in the world she knew. She had bought his loyalty so before he went to Dumbledore, he would go to her.

oOo

His friends got to him first.

They swarmed around Remus in the hallway.

"We've got it, Moony!" Sirius declared.

Remus stopped and looked at his friends blankly. "What?"

Peter looked smug as he not-so-lightly punched Remus in the arm. "We've figured out how to find out what Miss Grey is up to!"

Remus just stared at Peter with narrowed eyes. Before, Peter had not wanted anything to do with following Miss Grey around. Now, because James and Sirius wanted to do something about it, Peter had switched viewpoints.

It was not anything like a betrayal, but it still left a bitter taste in the werewolf's mouth.

"Well let me see it then." Remus grinned. Hopefully it wasn't anything _too_ outrageous.

Sirius pulled a small wooden box out of his robes. With a flourish, he opened it with a finger. Inside the plain container was-

"Is that a tic?" Remus asked.

James grinned. "Brilliant, yea? It's so small, she won't even notice if we put it on her robes."

"Is it a real tic?"

It was Sirius' turn to pick up the narrative. "Nope. It's a needle we transfigured. But we placed a sticking charm on it as well as some tracking spells. They're way stronger than the ones on the Map. This way, we'll get to see where the assistant goes and maybe figure out why she's trying extremely hard to hide something."

"Why… when did you guys do this?" Remus did not know what to feel. His friends had obviously worked really hard on it, but when did they have the time? The thought that they had kept something like this from him stung.

Thankfully, his friends looked guilty.

"Sorry, we just thought about it when you had already gone to bed the day before yesterday." James apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. "We spent half the night in the library and thought you could use the sleep before… you know."

It was a half-decent apology so Remus hid his hurt behind a joke. With wide eyes, he acted surprised. "You went to the _library_?"

Relived, they laughed.

Words: 550

oOo

Coming up: Opportunity presents itself.


	13. Advice

Edited: 5/9/13 for Alice

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Haha, it's amusing to see which chapters you like based on how many reviews I get (or don't get) ;). Thanks to GoldQueen1904 and immortalblossom for alerting this story!

Enjoy!

oOo

Alice sighed and buried her face into her hands. "I can't do it!" She declared.

Hermione, now used to her tantrums smiled indulgently. She spent so much time listening about how someone used to be, it was difficult to believe this almost legendary figure was a kid once too.

"And why do you say that?" The older woman prodded.

"It's just…" She huffed and splayed her fingers so she could peek out at Hermione. "Ravenclaw! You wouldn't know, but everyone is so bleedin' brilliant and there is so much pressure to be _perfect_. I can't tell anyone I'm havin' such a hard time in Potions. They'd rip me apart, the wankers!"

Oh. Well at least she was toning down the expletives today. That was fairly tame. Hermione was realizing that Alice swore like a sailor and it was absolutely _hilarious_. Every time the Irish fifth year went on a tangent, Hermione had to hide her grin behind a hand and bite her lip to smother her giggles.

Instead, she tried to be quietly supportive. "It does not matter what anyone thinks of you."

Alice stopped. "Of course it does. I'm fifteen! It matters!"

Point-Alice.

Hermione did laugh then and Alice seemed shocked that the quiet woman was capable of it.

"Touché, Miss Hart. Well, don't be disheartened by what those children say. Your commitment to catching up says a lot about your character."

Alice sighed. "I guess so."

Hermione looked at the clock. "Now, I believe you should go. Your Strengthening Solution will have to simmer over the weekend. I'll keep it in the back, but you are responsible for checking its' flames and progress."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good. Have a good night, Miss Hart."

Alice turned to leave.

"Oh-Miss Hart?"

"Yes?"

Gone was mission Hermione. In her place was Hermione, the Gryffindor swot who was teased mercilessly but had the most mischievous friends you could ask for.

"A good way to shut them up would be a jinx they've never seen before. I cannot tell you where, but I'm sure there are many such books in the library." The older woman grinned.

A look of awe slowly stole over Alice's face. She bounced excitedly on her toes. "Excellent! Thank you, Miss Grey!"

Hermione cleared her face of all emotion. "Hmm, what was this conversation about again?"

"Got you loud and clear." Alice winked before bounding out the door with a bright cry of: "Deadly!"

With a smile, Hermione dutifully banished the unused ingredients back to the storeroom and placed the cauldron on her desk. She warded it against any tampering as well as a couple of safety wards. She also activated it so she would know if Alice did come back to check it. That done, she swept off into the quiet halls to retire for the evening.

The Marauders thought it was a perfect opportunity for an ambush.

Words: 480

oOo

Coming up: Flirting? Don't be daft, Sirius.


	14. Fiendfyre

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Wow, that was the most reviews I've ever received for a chapter! This chapter is only up today and not tomorrow as a thank you. Unfortunately, I couldn't reply 'cause I'm waist deep in finals prep. I'll get to you and thank _everyone (the alert-ers and favorite-ers too) _next update. I appreciate all of you!

Enjoy!

oOo

Sirius materialized out of the shadows. On the offensive, he was the advance guard. Dropping all pretenses, he zeroed in on Hermione immediately.

"Miss Grey! Just the person I needed!"

The woman stopped in her tracks. She clutched the strap of her messenger bag. The boys did not see how she hid her wand just behind it.

"Was there something you wanted, Mister Black?" Hermione asked.

He quickened his steps and threw his arms open wide. "I'm just _so _happy to see you!" He exclaimed and swept in, trying to wrap her in a tight hug.

A wand at his throat stopped all movement. Sirius choked a little as the tip stuck into his jugular. The boy froze as her eyes burned into him. Bloody hell, if he thought she was cold before, then the only thing she reminded him of now was Fiendfyre. He had never been so cowed by a single look before.

"I would suggest, Mister Black, that you do not try to lay your hands on me again." Her gaze was scalding and her voice was stone.

The teenager was so shocked; he could only manage a kind of nervous chuckle. Throwing his hands into the air, he backed off slowly. Her wand followed his movements as he moved out of her path.

"No sudden movements then," he rasped weakly, trying to joke and regain some pride. "Got it."

She raised a brow as if to ask: _'Is that all you got out of this? Really?'_

"N-no touching of course!" He corrected quickly.

She gave a sharp nod and her piercing eyes penetrated the shadows. "That goes for _all_ students." Hermione declared, her lips pressed so tightly, it seemed her whole face felt the strain.

Even being safely Disillusioned, the boys shrank into the wall.

Seemingly satisfied, she gave one sharp nod and stalked angrily away. No one noticed where her wand disappeared to. They did not notice that her hand was shaking either.

Sirius half walked, half ran to his hidden partners in crime. He threw himself against the wall and braced himself on his knees, panting.

"Did you do it?" Peter demanded.

Sirius stared at Peter's location incredulously. "I almost _died_."

There was a slight pause as the boys tried to process what had happened. Remus, for his part, was stunned. He had fashioned Hermione to be this kind of hero. She was his saving grace from his curse; a kind but quiet idol. Her brief moment of anger made her too human, too unpredictable.

Dammit, he could not figure the woman out.

Sirius took another fortifying breath, then grinned. "It's on the inside of her sleeve."

James pushed him over. "You _arse-hole_."

Words: 450

oOo

Note on edits: I was thinking of this story last night, thinking about Alice. To my complete shock, I couldn't stop imaging her with an Irish accent. So now she's Irish apparently. I'm not very good at writing slang like J.K. is without feeling like I'm being super heavy handed, so instead I just replaced the general British slang with general Irish slang, haha.

Anon Review Replies:

Guest: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

2lazy2signin: I send you a halfhearted glare for your internet laziness. But it's only halfhearted because you said wonderfully complementary things. Thank you and you're welcome. (_I'm watching you..._)


	15. Value of Innocence

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Gigantic thanks goes to Angel Girl5, warewolf-princess558750, flyingberry, Smithback, the Anons and in transit for reviewing the last two chapters. The same goes to Theatre Ninja, lexmonster, meg5089, queensimi88 and ThePsychoFairy for the alerts; and to honeysuckle13, in transit, cm27 and wildflowerxx12 for putting this on your favorites (!).

Enjoy!

oOo

"My lady Grey, are you quite alright?" Augustus questioned worriedly.

Hermione offered him a shaky smile and lightly patted his frame. A whispered password was all she could manage before she stumbled into her quarters. Her momentum pulled her forward into her room and her door shut loudly behind her. After locking it with a wave of her wand, she frantically stripped off her professional robes and shoes.

A second later she was huddled in the corner of her bed. She pressed her spine into the headboard until the wood was pushed up against the stone wall. Bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs, she finally took a breath.

Then another.

Seeing that it was safe, she attempted to take one more when the memories hit. Hogwarts. Under siege, with wild spells flying everywhere.

She had to watch in her mind's eye as the safest place in the Wizarding world had been made into a battlefield. The halls still echoed with the screams every time Hermione passed through… years before anything happened. Every corner she passed, she remembered what happened there, who died there.

The faces of the dead assaulted her after she was sufficiently afraid of her surroundings. Fred. Colin. Tonks. Harry's terrifying moments of stillness. _Remus_. _Sirius_.

She gasped and buried her head into her legs. _Nononononono_...

The kicker was that, Remus and Sirius were alive. They all were. She had to look in the Marauder's faces and see that dammed glint in their eyes. They were immature prats but they loved life with a _vengeance_.

Seeing them so vibrant now hurt Hermione worse than she thought it would. When they had been older, both Sirius and Remus had been worn down from the years and the injustices. For them, death was a release.

But now she knew. She knew what the Marauders had been like when Voldemort was just a distant threat and they all trusted each other. She had seen their innocence and it was utterly terrifying.

She knew what they were going to lose and it made her physically sick.

The witch only managed to make it to the bathroom before she emptied her stomach into the sink.

That night, she warded her room against every single thing she could think of while strengthening the old ones. The house elves with their brand of magic could still get in but even they understood to stay away. Everything respectfully avoided the little cocoon and the broken person inside.

Tucked in her haven, Hermione threw on the warmest and most comfortable clothes she owned and buried under the covers. Blankets were held over her head and sheet corners tucked under her feet. The young woman still shivered the whole night through.

Words:460

oOo

Coming up: Hermione's mission continues with some surprising results.

Anon review replies:

Guest: I can't fix it if you don't tell me what exactly is wrong.


	16. Retooling Strategy

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

As always, my gratitude goes to: Angel Girl5, warewolf-princess558750, flyingberry, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgirL (that one was a doozy to type hahah), Smithback and Katarin Kishika for reviewing. Also to: LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgirL for alerting this and also to Katarin Kishika for both putting this on their alerts and favorites list.

Enjoy!

oOo

The next morning, Hermione retooled her strategy. Before, the plan had been for her to stay the whole school year. That had seemed like a sufficient amount of time to gather enough memories to take back. Her mission was just to understand the essence of her subjects; to get their baseline personality, maturity levels notwithstanding.

Never in her calculations did she suppose the Marauders would develop some sort of interest in Hermione. If the idea had been suggested before, she would have snorted. She was supposed to be a shadow, avoiding anyone she knew in the future.

Hermione was perched on a couch in her sitting room. Twirling a lock of hair around her finger, she squinted at the strange color and texture. She gave a derisive laugh and buried her head in her hands. Even if the trouble makers picked on her, they would never realize it was _her. _They would have invested so much time in someone that would disappear from their lives. It was harder for her. She would have to watch them as children and compare their vibrancy to the decay she had seen when _she _was a child. How could she watch them laughing and carefree, knowing that in her future all of them had struggled bitterly until their last breaths?

Her fingers tightened around her hair as she took a calming breath. She had to remember the people she could save. There was a couple that could be fixed. She would just have to grin and bear it.

Hermione was very good at suffering for other people's sake. Maybe it was a lauded Gryffindor trait or her personal character flaw. It did not really matter. The fact was that she would do anything it took to make people happy. She fought a war for Harry's sake and she would stay alienated in time for Neville's.

She supposed she was just lonely. With that thought, she suddenly missed Ron. He was loud and boisterous but even when he was nattering on about Quidditch, he managed to fill a room with his warmth. They had long since abandoned any hope of a romantic relationship with each other, but they both held a special fondness for each other. He would know what to say to keep her going right now. It would probably be a sweeping generalization that would make her smile simply because it was so absurd.

Yes, she was probably just lonely. She stopped before she started thinking of all the people and things she missed back home. It would be best not to dwell on it.

Mentally, she gathered the shattered pieces of her mind and brought them back together. She could do this. She _could_.

Her strategy would just have to be reworked. If she could not avoid the Marauders, she would have to try to finish her job as soon as possible.

Words: 480

oOo

Coming up: Both the Marauders and Hermione experience good fortune.


	17. Fortune

**Edited 5/15/13:** For my sanity's sake.

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Many thanks to: Smithback, Angel Girl5, MoonWatersLight and Rinou for reviewing! Also to: peachx89, MoonWatersLight and Rinou for putting this on your story alerts; and to maraoel and MoonWatersLight for putting this on their favorites. Sorry if I missed anyone. I have not gotten any email alerts from FF all today so I cannot double check.

Enjoy!

oOo

Hermione wondered if she was currently experiencing what the general populous called: "Good Fortune." One could argue that surviving so long could also be classified as such. But Hermione had never experienced it in such an obvious way.

After her rough night, the thought of being only a few seats away from the sharp eyed Dumbledore and the ever-perceptive McGonagall had made her a little queasy. Instead, she had taken a light breakfast of tea and eggs in the kitchens. Feeling a little more buoyant than before, she started traversing the halls towards the dungeons.

It was then she overheard two boys conversing in the hallway. She had been watching one of them since she arrived. Slowing her pace, she managed to catch a good portion of their conversation before she turned the corner and saw them.

"It's this blasted DADA class. It's all theory." One boy groused.

"And what is wrong with that?" Another lightly asked. "All those essays are enough if you ask me."

"But how am I supposed to pass a N.E.W.T. practical if we don't get any practice?" The first boy sounded like he was at his wit's end.

"It'll be fine!" The other one drawled right as Hermione turned the corner.

"Mate, I am trying to become an Auror. This time, fine is _not_ oka-" The teenager cut off as Hermione turned the corner.

Both of the boys nodded when they recognized her. "Morning."

"Morning," she greeted. "It's Mister Carver and Mister…" Hermione pretended the name escaped her.

"Longbottom, Miss."

"Ah," she smiled despite herself. "Nice to meet you." She pretended like she was about to walk off but thought better of it. "I know it's frightfully rude, but I couldn't help hearing about your dilemma, Mister Longbottom. Would you require… hmm, perhaps an avenue to practice your defensive skills?"

Frank looked a little shocked that Hermione even cared. "Um…yes?"

Hermione mentally grinned. This was working excellently. Keeping a cool, professional façade, she adjusted the books in her arms.

"I am available for tutoring on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays if you would like. You could get some practical experience in." She already tutored three students to keep Dumbledore off of her trail. It was a lot of work, but worth it in order to fulfill the mission. Taking on Frank would load her down more, but she would take it gladly. She _needed_ this opportunity.

Frank adopted a sheepish expression that Hermione had most definitely seen on his son. "Excuse me, ma'am, I don't mean to offend but-"

This time Hermione did grin. It was so mischievous that even the Weasley twins would have been proud.

"The fact that I currently work with Potions does not mean I am deficient in other areas. Defense Against the Dark Arts is a subject I have… _significant _experience in."

Frank did not seem to know how to respond. He obviously needed the practice, but he doubted that the prim woman he towered over would be a good teacher. Hermione was more amused than offended.

"I will tell you what, Mister Longbottom, Mister Carver. If either of you need a tutor I am here to help. I propose a trial of sorts. Saturday after Hogsmede we can meet and we can both demonstrate our abilities. If you believe I am not completely incompetent-" Frank flushed. "-then you can make your decision. If yes, I will inform your professor of your extracurricular work and we will begin immediately. Does this sound fair?"

He nodded and his friend just looked a bit shocked.

"Good. Well, duty calls. I'll owl a location by Thursday. Good day, Gentlemen."

"Good day, Ma'am." They chorused.

oOo

A little while after Frank and his friend had headed to class; four hidden boys looked at each other in shock. One, their tic had worked perfectly. Two, the confusing Miss Grey had practically invited a student to duel with her.

"Are we going to go?" Peter questioned. He was kind of excited. If she was as intense about dueling as she was with Sirius that one time…

"Of course we're going to go!" James exclaimed.

Remus nodded, excitement rising in his own chest too. This would be an excellent piece to add to the puzzle that was Miss Grey.

"And we'll know exactly where they are." Sirius added with a grin, thinking of the tic. "We'll _definitely_ be there."

What good luck it was to have overheard that conversation.

Words: 740

oOo

Coming up: Showdown at noon?


	18. Permission

(Sorry, I lied in the coming up. The showdown is coming, but I wrote a huge paper today and am exhausted writing-wise. Next time, though, you can definitely look forward to _some_ progress.)

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

My gratitude goes to: flyingberry, Angel Girl5 and LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL for reviewing! Also to: Risiska, RMoors, Savannah Cullen and Yeddi for putting this on their alerts; and to DracoGurl721 and MoonWatersLight for putting this on their favorites.

oOo

In order not to step on anyone's toes and to keep anyone from thinking there was an attack, Hermione went to Dumbledore. She explained the conversation she had stumbled upon. She tried to word her request in a way that made it seem that it had all been Frank's idea. That way she would keep it from looking like she was meddling.

It was also to soothe her worries. She _had_ to get to know Frank. There was no point otherwise. But there was a difference between being an observer and a teacher. Helping Alice out with Potions was a little different than teaching a person how to duel. Defense was a matter of life and death.

Hermione sucked on her candy hard, trying not to bend under Dumbledore's gaze. She kept her face blank but her mind alert for a _legilimens _spell. It was so surreal seeing Harry's old mentor in front of her. She felt like he still had all the knowledge he did when he had died. He knew and could see right through her.

"And you believe this is the best course of action?" He asked finally. Kindly.

She swallowed a mouthful of sugar and nodded. "I just really enjoy teaching," she said honestly.

The elder wizard accepted this with a nod. "Very well, is there anywhere in mind you plan to do this?"

She had first thought the Room of Requirement would work, but abandoned the thought. It had not been discovered before her time and she did not want to do anything to harm the timeline. Instead, she had taken a walk around the grounds and had found a nice clearing just off of the Quidditch pitch. It was private for safety reasons but close enough to the castle in case something had gone awry. Again, Dumbledore nodded his approval.

"Very well, Miss Grey. I see no reason to say no. Just please inform his Professor if he does desire your assistance."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, Sir."

They parted ways and Hermione tried not to choke on some of the candy still in her mouth. He had seen right through her. She _knew _it.

Words: 360

oOo

(Sorry, I lied in the last Coming up. The showdown is coming, but I wrote a huge paper today and am exhausted writing-wise. Next time, though, you can definitely look forward to _some_ progress.)

_Really _Coming up: Hermione sees what Frank is made of and the Marauders see what they're dealing with.


	19. Frank

**Edited: 8/1/13 because of a helpful review from "Boo." **

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

My thanks goes out to: flyingberry, Angel Girl5, Smithback and LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL for reviewing! Also to: dragonmia and LostNight0907 for putting this on their alerts; and to dragonmia for putting this on their favorites. Thank you darlings.

Enjoy!

oOo

The Hallowe'en feast had already come and gone. The feast itself was inconsequential to today's events. But Hermione had always timed the changing of the seasons after the event; it usually got terribly cold soon after. Surprisingly, it was a very nice fall day. Her robes were enough protection against the wind.

Speaking of robes, she had traded her nice professional clothes for some thick woolen ones. This way, if they got singed or muddy, Hermione would not lament the loss. They were from the future and the arms were fitted to allow more movement, but they were conservative enough not to look very out of place. Robe styles never really changed over the decades anyway.

Frank had brought his school robes but he shed them, revealing a cozy jumper and sturdy corduroy trousers. His friend bounced along beside him, holding Frank's outerwear, but made no moves to take off his own.

"Miss Grey." Frank greeted.

She inclined her head and then ran a calculating eye over the group gathered. They stood by the outskirts, trying their best to look inconspicuous by the trees. Most of them were Gryffindors, but judging by the presence of Alice, not all were so. The Marauders were also there.

"Mister Longbottom," she acknowledged, then raised an eyebrow. "You brought friends?"

Frank rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I tried to keep them away. I didn't even tell them. Someone else did," he said, throwing a dirty look at an unrepentant Mister Carver. "But if you want them to leave… I can make them go."

There was a soft groan from some of the gathered students. Hermione's harsh glare stopped them. She did not like it. The thought of people behind her while she was fighting made her uncomfortable. What if someone remembered her or took too much of an interest in her later? What if they got hurt?

One of them could attack her while she was occupied.

"Right," she barked, mostly angry at herself and her paranoia. She raised her voice to be heard. "If you wish to stay, you will need to back out of the clearing. This is a demonstration _only_. No using your wands or what you have learned today against each other. Mister Longbottom is planning to become an Auror. This is about _survival_ not about looking like a hero. No interfering. No sudden moves or loud noises. Got it?" She demanded harshly.

Her instincts hated this. But there were no recorded Death Eater attacks ever at Hogwarts in this time period. She would just have to have faith in history.

The students looked chastised but excited. They shuffled back to the tree line.

Hermione turned her gaze to Carver. "Mister Carver, if you would please join them?"

He grinned but dashed off after giving Frank a good luck slug in the arm. "Show her what you've got!" He crowed.

Frank looked a little nervous. She ignored him and set about putting a barrier up. It was a large concentric thing that would block a stray spell and keep anyone from getting out or in. But it would allow everyone to see and hear what was happening on both sides.

After that was done, she turned to Frank with a reassuring smile. "That was just precautionary. This is really just a demonstration of your skills. I trust you passed your O.W.L.s?"

He gave a small grin and nodded.

"Good, then you know a good portion of defensive spells."

"Yes, ma'am. I just have not had very much practice with a lot of them."

She walked about ten paces away from him and nodded. "It is commendable to want practice. Some of your peers would do well to follow your example."

Everyone picked up on her subtle admonition. Frank flushed.

She peered at the space and gauged any potential pitfalls in the ground. The sun was fat and low in the sky, but sunset would still be a couple hours off.

"Okay, Mister Longbottom. Ground rules are as follows. One: when either of us says 'Stop' we both stop no matter what. Drop your wand if you have to. Two: I will mostly be on the offensive. If I overwhelm you or harm you, I want you to let me know immediately. I do not wish to hurt you, but accidents do happen. Three: If either of us disarms the other, we immediately stop. Anything else you want to add?"

He shook his head.

"Very well then." With a smile, Hermione sank into position. She always thought it made her look a bit silly but even she enjoyed the dramatics of it sometimes. "You may begin."

Frank had been in position too, but at her words, he straightened a bit. "No Miss, you should go first. I insist."

Hermione choked back a laugh but then quickly sobered when she remembered what the poor boy would be facing in just a few years. Bellatrix. "The enemy is not going to wait for you, Longbottom." She stated solemnly.

That seemed to jar him into the right mindset. He was still tentative but the set of his jaw revealed that he understood the stakes. With a jab of his wand, he went for the most predictable track first.

"_Expelliarmus_!" He shouted.

Hermione had already cast her familiar non-verbal shield charm. She did not waste a second. She could have had him already, but she had to remind herself to take it slow. There was a chance that he could surprise her. "_Verdimillious Duo_!" She cast.

Green sparks and smoke shot out of her wand and surrounded him. He was briefly thrown off, but snapped back with a "_Finite Incantatem_!"

Once he was clear, he only had a second to breathe before a strong _Ventus_ jinx knocked him back. He stepped back for a few paces, reeling. When he finally gathered himself, there was fire in his eyes.

She allowed him a small grin and nod of approval. The fight was on.

Words: 1,000

oOo

Coming up: We see what Remus thinks about all of this.

Also, funny '70's fashion: _Corduroy suits_. You're welcome.

*Note: most of the spells come from the Harry Potter wiki. Apparently Hermione had a lot of video game/trading card spells that would come in pretty handy for dueling.


	20. Intimidation

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Big thanks goes to: in transit, Angel Girl5, KEZZ 1, flyingberry and LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL for reviewing! Also to KEZZ 1 for putting this both on their alerts and favorites. Every show of support reminds me why I like geeking out so much. :)

Enjoy!

oOo

Something utterly horrifying clicked as Remus watched Hermione move into position. The straight backed way she held herself and the way she walked. She did not walk with swaying hips like most women. Instead she walked straight, almost like she was on the prowl. In class, her eyes would roam and no one seemed to be able to get the drop on her. She was constantly alert and vigilant.

Miss Grey sank into the duel so naturally. It was as if she was finally doing what she had been waiting for.

The Potions intern was a fighter.

He had seen similar demeanors on Aurors. When Remus had first been bitten, there were a few Aurors that came to visit him and make sure his beast was in line. They were battle hardened, with scars on what seemed like every visible piece of skin. They carried themselves the same way Miss Grey did. The young Aurors, who had not seen unspeakable horrors, did not. That could really only mean one thing.

Remus suddenly felt a large wave of inadequacy surge over him. He sunk back into the shadows. Before, he had believed that Miss Grey was somewhat _aware_ of him at least. Even if she never looked his way, she still made him potions and never treated him like a second class citizen. To someone like him, that meant a lot. The only people that knew of his secret were extremely close to him. They held a lot of affection for him. In his admiration of Miss Grey, he supposed that she must have done the same.

Now, it was clear why she did not pay him any attention. Why she had never approached him.

She was out of his league.

That was always a hard realization for anyone to realize, and Remus finally experienced the symptoms first hand. He felt so young and inexperienced next to her, when before he had seen their age and status differences as nothing more than a little hurdle. Now he knew the truth.

But he could not stop watching her. The duel was glorious.

As it continued, Remus' respect and affection for the woman only increased. Everyone, even Sirius watched in awe as the newcomer meticulously picked at Longbottom's defenses.

She never used anything hostile. The fiercest thing she had cast on Frank so far was the _Tarantallegra_ jinx. He ducked out of that one, but the tail end caught him. Sirius gave a little chuckle at the sight of their fellow Gryffindor shuffling a bit in place.

However, it was the speed of her offensive that stunned the crowd. She did not look tense or as if she was fighting to catch up. No, she was calmly sending spell after spell, never tiring or flagging. Even when Frank became angry and sent off a few offensive blasts of his own, she batted them away and swiftly returned the favor.

Remus looked at the stunned faces of the children gathered around him. That pretty much summed up what he was feeling.

In those moments, she was so calm. So amazingly confident.

From then on, Remus Lupin wanted to be like that woman. He wanted to be so utterly secure in his skills that he made the execution of them look flawless. Maybe as a romantic prospect, he would never catch up with her. But as a wizard, he promised in that moment that not even his lycanthropy would hold him back.

He swore it.

Words: 580

oOo

Coming up: Something surprises Hermione.

Let us not forget that Lupin is no slouch himself. Hermione and her friends did think he was the best and most competent teacher they ever had. So the admiration does go two ways, even if it's the older Lupin that Hermione respects.


	21. Apple-Cheeked

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

So the outpouring of support for last chapter still has me smiling like a lunatic. I couldn't care less about numbers (but I did get more reviews for that chapter than I ever have before). It was the _quality_ of the reviews that were awesome. When I say thanks I mean it from the bottom of my heart guys. Even to those who just put this on your alerts or favorites. _Thank you_.

My overwhelming gratitude goes to: LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Rinou, flyingberry, ThePublicSector, Angel Girl5, KEZZ 1, in transit and Smithback for reviewing. Also to: 8. B. R. Adford, Iceprincess22454, IllusiveAddictions, Mogwai13 and margi209 for putting this on their alerts. As well as to: KRose07, Mogwai13 and rorolovesvamps for putting this on their favorites.

Enjoy!

oOo

"Stop," Frank gasped.

Hermione lowered her wand and her opponent doubled over. He braced his hands on his knees and gasped for air.

Surprisingly, he had lasted an admirable amount of time. It was clear he had been training for his planned profession. He still had a good way to go, but it was a hopeful start.

Hermione approached Frank. "Are you hurt, Mister Longbottom?"

He gasped a couple of more times before looking up and giving her a friendly smile. "Nothing's bruised except my bum and my ego." He declared affably.

Hermione's lips quirked at his forthrightness. "Still it would be best to see Madame Pomfrey, especially after such a strenuous workout."

He only nodded as his breath returned. "Yes, Miss," he agreed while wiping some sweat from his brow. He was dirty all over, having fallen quite frequently. But his smile was still brilliant.

Godric's ghost, the boy had fun. No wonder he was going to be an Auror. He was obviously a glutton for punishment.

Hermione studied him for a couple of seconds. "Should I give you a few more days to decide?"

Frank laughed. "I would be daft if I didn't take you up on your offer after that thrashing!" He exclaimed. "Yes, please!"

She nodded, still amused, but slipped back into her professional persona. "Very well then. Bring me or owl me your timetable and we'll set something up. If you do not need anything else, I will be taking my leave. Until then, Mister Longbottom."

"Have a good night, Miss Grey."

Hermione dropped the shield and began walking away. While she was not as tired as Frank, she was still sweaty and pleasantly exhausted at having spent so much magic in one go. He had been a lively opponent to be sure.

Most of the onlookers swarmed Frank, giving him pats on the back and lightly teasing him. Hermione was aware of them while still having one part of her mind happily daydreaming about some pound cake and a bath. A hand caught Hermione's arm and she tensed. Fighting a student was _not_ anything like fighting a Death Eater and she never let herself forget. But coming down from the adrenaline high was the same in both cases.

"Fair play, Miss Grey," effused Alice. The bubbly teen did not notice Hermione gripping her wand or did not care.

Hermione stopped to calm herself. She looked down at Alice and raised a brow. Alice did not get the hint. Her grip seemed to tighten.

"Where did you learn to _duel_ like that? You were just _rapid_ and just amazing and-"

Hermione raised both brows. She could not stay mad at Alice, no matter how hard the Potions intern tried.

"Sorry, I didn't give you a chance to answer," Alice finally breathed. "Well?"

Hermione had to think about it. Saying that she learned it in a war that would happen twenty years from now probably was not the best choice. So she went for the next best truth.

"We had a dueling club at my school."

Alice's eyes became like saucers. "That is so brilliant! _We_ should have a dueling club!"

Hermione stiffened, but for a different reason. The suggestion surprised her. She had not thought the students would take it like that.

There was a shout from behind them. Both the girls turned to see Carver and a friend hoisting Frank playfully into the air. Alice's eyes lingered on Frank.

The older witch pounced on the potential distraction. "Mister Longbottom did well, don't you think?"

Alice turned so red, Hermione thought the teen might combust.

Words: 600

oOo

Coming up: Sirius has a crisis. ( That looks like it should rhyme, but it does not. :( )


	22. Class Clown

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Once again, I have to give my thanks to: LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrl, Emmaline341, samagnus, Morita-te, flyingberry, KEZZ 1 and Smithback for reviewing! Also to: Jenie, Morita-te, samagnus, PhoenixGirl97, sabbs123 and xXInkWitchXx for putting this on their alerts; and to sabbs123 and xXInkWitchXx for putting this on their favorites!

Enjoy!

oOo

Sirius was unusually quiet on the way back to the Gryffindor Common Room. He walked behind his friends as they joked and laughed about everything and anything. Remus was the first to notice.

It was well known among their group of friends that if Sirius did not want to admit something, he simply stopped talking period. It usually took a little bit of prying, but Remus did not mind spending the time. The werewolf fell back to join his friend.

"Hey, Padfoot." He greeted.

Sirius nodded in recognition, looking pensive.

Remus wondered what would be the best question to start with. He tried the up-front: "What's wrong?"

Sirius glared and Remus winced. Okay, wrong question. Moony tried to pinpoint the exact point that Sirius had gone silent. Actually, Sirius had been pretty quiet after laughing at Frank's shuffling feet. The usually loud Gryffindor had not hollered or laughed or had even _said_ anything since then.

"Boy, Frank really did get his arse kicked, yeah?"

That was the right thing to say. Sirius' brows smashed together as his frown deepened.

"Do you think Auror training is like that? That rough?" Remus followed up.

"All I'm saying," Sirius started and then stopped when he realized he was practically shouting. He waited until Peter and James had turned back around before continuing in a whisper. "Frank's been talking about becoming an Auror since third-_bloody_-year. He's done everything. Played Quidditch to keep in shape, toured the MLE Department, read the books, took double DADA classes, interviewed with Aurors and sat in on one of their training days… and this bloody Potions assistant from _Wales_ comes in and solidly kicks his arse like it's nothing."

Remus' eyebrows rose at Sirius' hostility. The werewolf prepared to defend Miss Grey but did not get a chance.

"How could _Frank_, who's practically an Auror _already_, fail?" Sirius exclaimed, clenching his fists in front of him.

Remus stopped as Sirius threw a nasty look at a curious portrait. It made sense now. Everyone thought Frank was a shoe-in for a position. The day the Ministry rejected him was the day they also declared werewolves to be harmless, friendly creatures. It was not going to happen.

So they thought.

"You want to be an Auror too," Remus blurted tactlessly.

Sirius glowered and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Let it go mate," he growled as he stomped away.

Remus followed. Sirius wanted to be an Auror. Silly, misbehaving Sirius who had surprisingly good scores but was a terror in the classroom. This time, there was a chance that Sirius would not be able to just slide in with a charming smile and a good test score. If the Golden Boy did not have a chance, how could the class clown have one either?

Remus caught his friend's shoulder only to be harshly bucked off.

"Stop it," Sirius snarled. "Leave me alone."

Remus did. But he did not stop thinking about it. If Miss Grey was willing to tutor Frank, maybe she would be willing to tutor Sirius too?

It was worth looking into. When he investigated, Remus found some of the fifth years whispering about a 'dueling club' in the library. It was one of the best ideas he had heard all year. This time he _would _go to Dumbledore.

Words: 550

oOo

Coming up: Hermione wonders if Dumbledore ever felt guilty.

I like to entertain the idea that Sirius wanted to become an Auror before his uncle made it so the teen would never have to work. It seems like something Sirius would do. It's like one of the best ways to _really_ stick it to his family and that like most young men, he would feel restless without a job other than the Order. There's a fanfiction by Mrs J's Soup called _One Hundred and Sixty Nine _that also deals with Sirius being an Auror _and_ is a time-traveling fic. (I did say there are a ton of those out here.) I haven't finished it yet, but it's best to credit in case I accidentally lift anything.

Have a good one!


	23. Manipulation

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Thanks to: flyingberry, Angel Girl5, Morita-te, PhoenixGirl97 and LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL for reviewing! And to: vagrant-in-the-stars for putting this on your story alerts!

This chapter has been written for a couple of days now. I knew where I wanted it to go and what it should say. But I did not know how to pull it off. Hopefully it works. Enjoy!

oOo

"Miss Grey, I have called you to my office today to address a request from some of the students. They are asking for permission to establish a… dueling club."

Hermione wondered if Dumbledore could see the blood draining out of her face, or if she could pass it off as poor lighting. She was tempted to lock down on her facial expressions, make them like stone. In her case, that would just give her away. Hermione was not the most expressive person, but she was not Snape, either. The point was to look like she was _not _hiding something.

"Is that so?" She questioned politely.

He nodded. "I must say, you did put forth a very good showing this weekend with Mister Longbottom. Would it be possible to tell me where you gained this experience?"

"It would not, Headmaster. My apologies." Oh Merlin, her heart was pounding so hard, she thought it would wake up the sleeping portraits. She was growing sweaty under her suddenly stifling robes.

A dueling club _could not_ happen. Such an institution did not exist at Hogwarts until Lockhart decided it would be a fantastic chance to show off.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, Miss Grey. I understand. Time is a fragile thing after all."

It was like he was simply twisting the knife deeper in her chest. Hermione managed a small smile.

"Yes."

He hummed. "Well, Miss Grey, I have been discussing it with the other Professors and we think that in these trying times a dueling club might be a good teaching tool. At Hogwarts, our goal is not only to protect our students, but equip them with the skills to be able to do that for themselves. Perhaps it would be best to keep it restricted to the older students…" He smiled at Fawkes who was stirring on his perch. Unwrapping a candy, he savored it a moment before continuing.

"Frankly, Miss Grey, I_ would_ like to listen to the children and instill a dueling club. Our DADA professor would supervise and I was hoping you could work hands-on with the students. What do you say?" Dumbledore peered at her over his spectacles.

Her mind reeled, weighing all of her possible courses of action. In a matter of milliseconds, she had weighed the pros and cons of a dozen things she could say. Decline. Not decline. Laugh it off. Accept it happily.

One thing was clear: she had to stop it. Another thing was also clear: she had no idea how. Hermione could not decline because Dumbledore would _know_. She also could not be too enthusiastic because it would imply that one should have existed in the first place.

Her head started throbbing in time with her heartbeat. The pain threatened to tear her skull apart.

"If that is what you think is best, Headmaster."

"I do realize it is a big undertaking and you are currently busy. However, I can talk to Hattie Shaw for you and see if we cannot work something out." He apologized.

Hermione tried to find something in her mass of emotions that was somewhat true. She cursed fiercely in her mind. She could not _think_.

Dumbledore decided to interpret her silence as hesitance. He sobered quickly and his voice dropped half a decibel.

"I do not know what you have faced Miss Grey, but I _do_ know what my students are facing now. They… no one truly understands what men like Voldemort are capable of. And…" He made a show of carefully folding the empty candy wrapper into long, thin strips. His eyes met hers and both of them were jarred by what they saw.

"I want to give my students every chance possible. Do you understand, Miss Grey?"

To Hermione's horror, she felt tears swiftly pooling. One stole down her face and she frantically swiped at it.

"Y-yes, Sir. I understand perfectly." She thought of the body count. Of Sirius and Remus and how their spirits would be destroyed. And of Frank and Alice who would one day forget their son.

But she also thought about time and responsibility. It was her responsibility to keep things from changing. Her mission was considered to be a failure if she altered just one thing. An observer, they had called her. Not an active participant.

She had a _duty._ To the Ministry. To Neville. To the balance of things.

The worst part of it was that she understood perfectly what Dumbledore was trying to do. He was trying to protect the children that he had watched grow up.

Did he blame himself when they had fallen? Did Dumbledore see Sirius' imprisonment as his fault? Or the death of James and Lily? Was the Headmaster able to sleep at night, or did the faces symbolizing his failures haunt his dreams?

"T-to tell you the truth, Headmaster, I am a little overwhelmed. It has been a… very long week. May we continue this conversation later?"

His eyes softened. "Yes, Miss Grey. Until then."

She nodded and hurried towards the exit. Dumbledore's voice arrested her for a split second.

"I apologize if I have asked too much of you."

In that instant, she _knew. _Just like Dumbledore could read the future in her face, she could read exactly what he was willing to do in his words. He knew that he was possibly changing the future and he knew that he was asking her to go through with it anyway. Dumbledore apologized but never reneged.

_He always did this_, she thought.

Hermione's eyes slammed shut before any more tears could fall. With her robes swirling around her feet, the time traveler made her escape.

Words: 940

oOo

Coming up: Remus doesn't realize how much influence he really has. Especially over Hermione.

Anon review replies:

Guest: Hey a fellow fan! Yeah it is pretty great. Hopefully you like mine just as much. :) Thanks for the review.

PhoenixGirl: You people! Haha, I kid. Thanks for both reviews! I hope you like the rest. I used "Godric", simply because in the books, they usually do that. Say like "Merlin's pants" or something as a light swear. I always thought that it was because, being wizards, they wouldn't use Muggle euphemisms like "Gosh" or "God" and stuff. Hope that helps.


	24. Disgrace

**Edited 5/19/13:** For my sanity's sake.

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

I always have to give my thanks to: LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, KEZZ 1, Smithback, Angel Girl5 and flyingberry for reviewing! Also to: emijade and speechless mute for putting this on their story alerts; and to: Luna Locura for putting this on their favorites. Also I have to thank flyingberry, Rinou and ThePublicSector for the behind the scenes help. Thanks everyone!

I didn't know if I could post this during the day, so you're getting this one a few hours earlier. Enjoy!

oOo

Hermione sat in the dungeons, furiously cursing her lack of foresight. She glared at the student's essays. Her hand clutched her quill but it was motionless, the red ink dripping onto the stone floor.

The only reason she was in the Potions classroom was because Dumbledore had cornered her right between her various commitments. So not only was her resting period shot, but so was this whole mission.

How could she not have planned for this contingency? She had a whole team of researchers at their disposal and still, none of them had planned for this. Everyone had been willing to believe that the people of the past would do their utmost best to protect the future; Dumbledore included.

Maybe it was the sentimentally of remembering a dead war hero, that allowed even Hermione to forget just how the former headmaster operated. He was too kind to be ruthless, but he excelled at taking full advantage of a situation.

Hermione hated herself for not seeing it. For not planning for it. She had failed before she had even begun and it was all because Dumbledore had been made aware of what she truly was. A time traveler. Hermione was a resource with advanced knowledge about the course of the war. What leader would not try to take advantage of her?

Her tears were frustrated now, but she made no effort to brush them away.

How could she be so naïve?

There were times when Hermione felt older than she really was. Everyone-including herself-seemed to regard her as this grizzled veteran. A member of the Golden Trio, part of the entity that saved the Wizarding world once and for all. She accepted this title with a bit of relief a lot of times. As a child, she had always wished to be an adult. No one seemed to take her knowledge seriously when she was a child. It was a fantastic feeling when she could finally use her mind and have people listen for once.

Then there were times when Hermione made a mistake and she realized how painfully young she was. She had so much time to go, to learn. People like Dumbledore had ages of experience to guide them while she relied on textbook knowledge and called it wisdom.

The quill broke in her hand. It stabbed through her skin and she numbly lifted the wound up to her face. Her blood mixed seamlessly with the ink.

She could not even fix herself. How could she call herself an adult when she could not even grab her wand and stop the bleeding? The self disgust was heady in her mind.

_You're a fucking disgrace_, she told herself, disappointed at allowing herself to pridefully believe that nothing would go wrong. Disappointed that it hit her this hard, and guttered that the only course of action she had was to pack up and go home. She continued to belittle herself, trying to evoke some kind of action.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and Hermione was finally jolted out of her stupor. She swiftly pulled out the broken quill from her skin. A few flicks of her wand cleaned up her hand, her face and the floor, and she was cutting herself a new quill when Remus Lupin stepped in.

"Miss Grey?" He asked hesitantly.

She looked up expectantly. "How can I be of assistance, Mister Lupin?"

He stepped forward, bravely meeting her gaze. "I wanted to thank you."

It was then that Hermione realized that she had been sabotaging herself the whole time. If she did not want to change the future, then she should have never started giving Lupin the newly formulated Wolfsbane. She cursed Dumbledore for changing the future, when she had already been doing it this entire time.

Hermione froze as this new information made its way into her mental algorithms. She needed to process this.

With five words, Lupin had given her an entirely new perspective. When she had reached her threshold, he had effortlessly shifted her focus.

Hermione looked at the boy in front of her with a new light. But why was she so surprised? She knew what he was capable of, how great of a man he had been.

Just because he was innocent now, did not mean that he was less intelligent or perceptive.

She needed to recalculate how she viewed him too.

Words: 730

oOo

Coming up: Remus tries very hard not to muck things up.


	25. Nerves

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Much love goes to: PhoenixGirl97, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Emmaline341 and Smithback for reviewing (even if it's just to correct me haha)! Also to: AndromacheCameron, Katalina Resolute and CassidyTVNut (like Mike TV!) for putting this on their alerts!

It took me forever to get started, but I had a lot of fun with his one. Hope you do too. Enjoy!

oOo

It took Remus approximately forty two hours and thirty six minutes after speaking with Dumbledore to finally gather the courage to talk to Miss Grey. He knew it was stupid to be so nervous. What was the worst she could do to him? Ignore him like she did Sirius?

_Actually, that would be sort of terrible_, he thought.

That was irrelevant. The fact of the matter was: Remus was intimidated by pretty women who could kick his ass. He was also sort of attracted to them… Sirius would have an awfully-lascivious comment for that in seconds.

_Thirty seven minutes, Moony. You're stalling. _

Sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room, he waited until James had sequestered himself in a sufficiently dark corner with Lily and Sirius was trying to pick up a bird of his own. Remus gave Peter a curt nod, decisively shut his Potions book, nonchalantly tucked it under his arm and purposely strode out of the portrait.

Halfway down a staircase, he froze in typical indecision. What if Miss Grey thought he was a total swot, carrying nothing but a thick tome? Or even worse, what if she thought he was trying too hard to look intelligent?

Slightly panicking, he looked around for a solution. None came to him and the staircase started groaning in warning. He hurried off, still worrying.

Now that he was on the topic, did he look like a complete idiot? The werewolf made a mental checklist.

Hair? He ran a few fingers though it hastily.

Robes? They were rumpled from the day, and momentarily forgetting his magical capabilities, he miserably sentenced himself to being stuck with them.

Teeth? He ran a quick tongue over them.

Breath? Oh Merlin, he had onions at supper.

A couple of Hufflepuff underclassmen passed by. They looked at him oddly before giggling.

Remus froze once again and cursed himself in his head. He needed to stop. It was not like he was going on a _date_. He was just thanking the woman who had given him a potion that allowed him to be lucid on a day when he was cursed to viciously attack everything and everyone around him and brutally injure himself and his friends while-

He was just making it worse.

_Take a breath Remus!_

He did.

He took another, deeper one. Remus decided that there was nothing for it. It was time to just face the music. He had promised himself that after he talked to Dumbledore about a dueling club, he would thank Miss Grey. Forty two hours and thirty nine minutes.

Not that he was counting or anything.

oOo

When he made it to the Potions classroom, he patted himself on the back for not hesitating and hightailing it all the way back to his bedroom. He entered and his eyes fell on the only person in the room.

She was using a small penknife instead of magic to make herself a new quill. He supposed the lack of magic should tell him something about her personality. But he was too nervous to figure out what that could be.

The woman seemed completely focused on her task. He watched her work for a few moments. Was it strange to admire how deft her fingers were?

Sirius would _really_ have a comment for that one.

Deciding he needed to distract himself, he clutched his book tighter.

"Miss Grey?"

She finished the quill. Setting everything on her desk, she laced her fingers together and placed them on the surface. Settled, the assistant looked up at him expectantly.

"How can I be of assistance, Mister Lupin?"

It helped his courage that she gave him her full attention instead of just brushing him off. He met her eyes bravely and stepped forward.

"I just wanted to thank you."

There was a moment where she paused. He blinked and realized that she was looking at him in an extremely peculiar way. Remus had not gotten it wrong, had he?

He tried to tell her how he knew, but his thoughts ended up being jumbled. His neck and jaw got hot.

"I just- I saw that your writing and… Your scent-not that I was smelling you, but as a well… Uh yeah, you know and… I just wanted to thank you for the potion. It was… It was great… So umm, yeah… Thanks."

She was still giving him that look. He was stuck between being embarrassed and becoming frustrated at his loss of verbal skills. In a matter of seconds, he had lost all capacity to communicate in his native language. Godric's sword, he was a _girl_.

Miss Grey smiled then. Her grin slowly stretched across her lips and she averted her gaze. The intensity melted from her eyes, turning into something warmer. She sighed and wiped both hands over her face.

"My apologies, Lupin. It has just been an _appallingly_ long day." The assistant spoke into her hands. Dropping them, she looked at him with that unsettling gaze. It almost seemed as if she was looking at someone familiar to herself. He felt the tingling warmth spread into the back of his neck. Remus had always wanted her to smile at him but what was _that_?

She continued. "So you figured me out, did you?"

He nodded numbly. The Potions assistant smiled in a slightly self-depreciating way.

"And here I thought I was being so clever."

He decided not to tell her in what year the Marauders had stumbled upon handwriting charms. Instead he gave a weak little smile. She was being so friendly to him and he could not get a grip on it. Where was the stoic warrior he had seen before? He had not prepared himself for this.

She chuckled. "Well, since the kneazle is out of the bag, so to speak, I guess we should talk about it. I actually have many questions about how the potion worked for you. What were your experiences, how it affected you, any side effects, etcetera." She peered at a large hourglass on her desk. All of the sand was at the bottom.

"Unfortunately, I am late for a tutoring session and I believe it will be too late to meet tonight." She thought out loud. "And since we should keep any conversations about your _condition_ discreet, we would have to meet when we know there was less chance to be stumbled upon. I apologize for suggesting something so frightfully early, but will about an hour before breakfast work for you?"

Remus' mind was fanatically turning over the words "discreet" and "less chance to be stumbled upon." He managed to mutter a mangled affirmative. Who cared if it was early?

She nodded, pleased, and began to gather her stuff. "Very well, I will meet you tomorrow in here. Professor Shaw will not come in until breakfast is finished and everyone avoids this place if they can. Until then."

He managed to nod numbly. She finished packing everything into a satchel. Slinging it over her shoulder, she finally looked at him. Miss Grey raised an eyebrow at his continued presence.

"Was there anything else you needed, Mister Lupin?"

This time the heat rushed to his face. "No!" He croaked. "Have a good night, Miss Grey."

Then Remus Lupin rushed out of there like the hounds of Hell were after him. It would be best not to hang around and muck up his chances.

When he got back to the Common Room, Peter loudly asked why Remus' ears were so red. Ignoring the friendly jeers, he swept up to his room and hid behind his bed curtains.

His preparations for bed were done in a haze. He fell asleep trying to convince his mind not to classify the meeting as a date. He kind of failed, but it was okay. A not-date with the pretty intern was better than nothing at all.

Words: 1,310

oOo

***Semi-Important Announcement:** It's a complete bummer, but there are only going to be a couple of more updates (maybe). Then **I will be taking a month's hiatus**. I don't want to, but long story short, I'm going be going through future career training _and_ taking another university course. My apologies, but we gotta do what we have to do.

So again, I will update tomorrow and _maybe_ Wednesday. Then everything will be on hold for a month. Thanks for your patience and support all.

95


	26. The Meeting

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Again, my gratitude goes to: PhoenixGirl97, Angel Girl5, KEZZ 1, flyingberry, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL and Smithback for reviewing! Also to the surprising amount of people who put this on their story alerts: Nalini-Singh175, da49, Cherkin, .21, RodMary, claudhopper, eringrangerblack, padfootsnuffles, pillowwolfpup and pixiefly. Also to: PhoenixGirl97, Nalini-Singh175 and Smithback for putting this on their favorites. I'm-frankly-blown away by how many people like this and if I've missed listing even one person in all of the chapters so far, I apologize. I still appreciate you too!

Enjoy!

oOo

In true Hermione fashion, she had everything prepared for the meeting well before Lupin arrived. On her desk rested fresh sheets of parchment, the new quill and an uncorked bottle of ink. In front of it, she had transfigured a comfortable chair for Remus to sit. It had occurred to her that making him stand the whole time would turn what she hoped to be a friendly meeting into an inquisition.

She did want to have a friendly meeting. Her calculations had come to the conclusion that it would be more beneficial to her emotional state if she left with fond memories instead of having the experience tainted by her failure. Most importantly, Hermione had determined that if they had to be in close proximity for a while, then she would not mind being nice to Lupin.

Even long after his death, he was high on the list of people she greatly respected. His mind, his friendly character and his competence were things she held in high regard. And despite their age difference, Hermione hoped that Remus saw her as a friend. She had always wanted to be friends with the Professors she admired and Remus was definitely one of them. So even if the teenaged Lupin in this time did not have the same experiences, he was indeed the same person. More innocent and less weary for sure. But the personality and mind were still there.

There was nothing wrong with connection with an old friend. Especially if he would not be there when she got back.

Like before, Hermione heard his footsteps before he saw her. He hesitated briefly at the doorway.

"Hullo, Mister Lupin," she greeted and gestured to the chair. "Please take a seat."

He nodded made his way over. Settling himself into the chair, he returned the greeting.

"Good morning, Miss Grey…" He pulled some battered note taking gear out of the bag at his side. "…I did not think to ask if I needed anything so I brought this just in case."

Hermione shook her head. "You probably will not need to take notes, but your foresight is noted and commendable."

He gave an embarrassed but pleased smile. They sat there for a few moments before Hermione moved on. Casting a silencing spell around the room, she informed Lupin what she was doing.

"I believe it will look less suspicious if I leave the door open. However for the sake of privacy I just settled a silencing spell on the room. Is this acceptable?"

She missed the way his eyes widened but she did catch his answer.

"Yes, Miss, that's fine."

Hermione looked at him. The set of his shoulders and his posture indicated how tense he was. She rooted around for an explanation before finding it in herself. How could she foster a friendly environment if she insisted on being so coldly professional?

Hermione mentally sighed. She had no idea how to be friendly with a teenage boy. Every possible course of action seemed like she would be trying too hard. Calling upon her past experiences with both Lupin and her friends, she searched for an ice breaker.

Well… Harry and Ron liked it when she was nice. It sounded stupid but it was the truth. They especially liked it when someone coddled them. Maybe she should try being motherly perhaps?

Not too much, she was hardly much older than him. But something between motherly and feminine could do the trick. Being professional was fairly close to being confrontational, and from her experiences with men, it would keep them on edge until the threat was gone.

Hermione sighed, resting her arms on her desk. She leaned in and softened her gaze. _Just pretend you're talking to Ron and Harry and _not_ reprimanding them_, she coached herself.

"Listen, Mister Lupin. If at any point you feel uncomfortable about this, please let me know. I personally hold no prejudices for those of your background, but I know that talking might be difficult, especially if you have been keeping this a secret for so long." There. Non-confrontational and she attempted to establish a safe environment for him.

It seemed to work and he melted back into his chair. The smile he gave her was shocking in its openness. Professor Remus Lupin had never given her that kind of expression before. It seemed like one he would save for those closest to him, like Tonks or Teddy. All anyone else had gotten were small grins and dancing eyes at best.

He was freer here, in this time. There was no shame hanging around him, none of the suffocating weights of his worries.

She couldn't help returning the expression. It would be nice, being friends with Lupin. Maybe Harry would enjoy the memories of the younger Marauder too.

Words: 800

oOo

Coming up: More of the not-date.

*To Kakashi: I keep trying to put your full username up there but the software keeps on eating it. But I did get you too!


	27. The Eyes

_All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas._

_...*Shifty eyes* I'm not really here. If I _was_, I'd list the names of all the people who reviewed/alerted and favorited this fic and give them a longer-ish chapter. But I'm on hiatus... Instead, since I'm _not_ here, all I can do is give you a little megare chapter as a sign of my gratitude for giving this over 100 reviews. I try not to get hung up on the numbers, but that is a pretty big milestone..._

_oOo_

Remus had no idea what he had done to earn the look Miss Grey was giving him, but he hoped his accidental luck continued. Not only was she still giving him that familiar gaze, she was clearly trying to make him comfortable.

It seemed that once Miss Grey accepted someone, her prickly exterior gave way. He was not entirely sure; but she seemed capable of extraordinary kindness.

Who was he kidding? Anyone who could look a werewolf in the eye without flinching in disgust or fear was either uncommonly kind or stupid.

And Miss Grey was _not_ stupid.

As he observed the Potions assistant, he noted that she was quick to snap back into her staid professionalism. As soon as she began questioning him, everything reverted. Unlike before, it did not put him off. The teenager understood now.

Yes, she was a little distant. But he understood what it was like to get lost in your own mind. He had frequently experienced becoming caught in a place where everything was causational and logical. Usually, it took James to snap him out of it.

For Miss Grey, she seemed to fight to remind herself. In the middle of a sentence, she would stop and focus back on him.

Like when they first ran into each other, it was all in her eyes. Her gaze was intense while also being informative. Even if her words were emotionless, her eyes were not.

Remus greedily drank in everything she said.

She was concerned about him, apparently. Also, if he allowed himself to get a little fanciful, she seemed to communicate that on some level… she actually cared for him.

Remus' tingling stomach dropped to his toes and he had to look away to keep his face from giving his emotions away. It would be stupid to think she _liked_ him. But she was definitely able to hold regard for him as a person. It was as astonishing as it was flattering.

He wondered if his face was bright red. It sure felt like it.

Words: 340

_oOo_

_Thanks guys!_


	28. Gruff

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

So (fortunately and unfortunately), my university class fell through. That means I'll probably be able to update at least once over the weekend! I have to thank all the people who reviewed the previous couple of chapters. I'm sorry for not listing your names (or if I missed replying), but the brief break confused me. I'll try to catch up on all the people who reviewed, alerted and favorited this story later. I appreciate it!

Enjoy!

oOo

Seeing as they only had an hour, Hermione wanted to start the interview in earnest. She breathed in to begin, then stopped. At this point, Remus had no idea what potion he had been taking. Any in-depth analysis of how the Wolfsbane affected him would fall flat.

The Wolfsbane Hermione had given Lupin was actually a recently improved formula. When she had joined the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, it was the first project her research team had worked on.

The woman had made it with Remus in mind. Even though it was too late for him, the potion had been an ode to one of her dear ones lost in war.

Only one-admittedly sizable-dose was needed. One of the test subjects had complained that it tasted even _worse_ than the original. That werewolf had stopped when the pain from his transformation was halved and he was the most lucid he had been in decades. Hermione wanted to know if the potion had relieved Remus in the same way.

When she had realized Remus would be in her mission, she _had _to bring it for him. Even the best logic would not persuade her otherwise. There was no way she was going to refuse the opportunity to improve a person's life.

Even bucking time would be worth the relief she brought him.

Hermione explained the potion. As she continued, Remus' eyes became wider and wider.

"You-you made a potion that can prevent my mind from turning?" He asked incredulously.

His awe was a little shocking. She colored slightly in embarrassment but was quick with a correction.

"No, Mister Lupin. Wolfsbane is a very old potion. My research team and I only made it more efficient."

"Oh." He gave a sheepish smile. "That's still brilliant."

"Thank you," she accepted gruffly. Even though she worked hard to get it, attention and praise always made her uncomfortable.

Trying to change Remus' focus, she picked up her quill, prepped it and held it expectantly over her paper.

"Now, I am going to ask you some questions about your experience. Again, if something makes you uncomfortable, you can refuse to answer. Is this acceptable?"

He nodded.

"Very well. Can you please describe what your transformations felt like before the potion use?"

Hermione regretted asking when his eyes darkened. He looked away and did not answer.

"…Mister Lupin?"

Had she not used enough tact?

He shook his head and offered a small smile. "My apologies, Miss Grey. I just had to think about it for a moment." His voice lowered in volume slightly. "That kind of thing is a little difficult to describe."

"Take all the time you need," she replied softly.

Words: 450

oOo

Coming up: A haunting story.


	29. Jump

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Okay, I'm taking a deep breath and attempting to thank everyone for the support. Ready? Okay. My thanks goes to: KEZZ 1, flyingberry, PhoenixGirl97, Angel Girl5, warewolf-princess558750, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, anthraquinblue, Morita-te and Smithback; for reviewing! Also my thanks goes to: Mat94fantasyHunter, Meitschi-89, Techlology, pianomouse, mlle-guillotine, pocketrockette, NorthernLights25, The Cloaked Invisible and Lost O'Fallon Girl for putting this on their story alerts. Also to: Merry Harkness, Assyria Ordant, ArcanePikachu, The Cloaked Invisible and Lost O'Fallon Girl for putting this on their favorites. Thank you!

Enjoy!

oOo

Remus sighed as he tried to find a way to answer Miss Grey's question. His lycanthropy and transformations seemed like one of those things that he would never be able to explain correctly. Sure, he could talk about his physical symptoms, but then there was also his mental state. Or he could talk about his mental symptoms and neglect the obvious. Even then, that did not even cover the mental toll it took upon him.

There was so much to say. He did not want to say anything at all.

Remus also had to consider if it was prudent to even tell Miss Grey. He desperately _wanted_ to tell her, but he had never been so honest with anyone in his life. How could he talk to_ her_ about something so horrific and expect nothing to change for the worse? The Marauders knew what happened during the transformation, but they had been there for years.

As much as he liked Miss Grey, his rational side staunchly reminded him that he did not know anything about her. If he went through with this, she would know the darkest part of him.

So would he bare it all? Or would he decide he needed to know more about her before bestowing his trust?

He supposed that this was one of those "great leaps" kinds of moments.

The werewolf sighed and peered up at Miss Grey. He did not want to confess to her. And yet… he _did_. The werewolf longed to share the total picture of himself with a person and have that person accept him all. He knew that if he made the mistake of tellingthe Potions assistant, he would say too much. Remus would pick her as that person, whether it was safe or not.

He looked up…

_And tiptoed to the edge_…

They met gazes…

_And he gulped at the distance…_

He used all his powers of perception to judge her character…

_And his muscles flexed in anticipation…_

Something must have clicked. He took a breath…

_And jumped._

Words: 340

oOo


	30. The Usual

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Rushed posting, sorry. But I do want to thank all of my readers for helping me get to the 30 chapter mark. That's awesome!

Also, a little **warning: **I like to keep my stuff pretty family friendly; no cursing or lemons or overtly dark themes. But this chapter (and probably the following chapters) is(are) a little intense. It is T for a reason.

Enjoy!

oOo

"When it starts…" Remus stopped and wiped at his face. He stared blankly down at the ground, focusing on a scratch in the stone.

"It almost feels as if my blood begins to literally boil. Everything-every single part of my body starts burning from the inside out. And I can feel the fire pounding-rushing its way through my heart. I can't think. I can't talk. It just… consumes.

"My fingers change first. I don't think I have claws any other day. But when I transform… they grow inside my fingers and tear their way out. From there it's a matter of my bones. The wolf is bigger and my bones have to grow. They push out and my spine _grinds_.

"It's so terribly painful. I'll never have the words. But I think the part I hate the most is when my jaw dislocates and my face cracks. I never realized how delicate a person's facial structure truly was until my bones fissured into fine little pieces the first time.

"And I can _hear _it. I can hear it and my screams just hurt even more. I can smell my own pain, and taste the madness in the air. Usually between my face and the hairy part, my mind turns. It's not me after that. It's this _thing_ that's so angry and in so much pain. All it wants to do is consume like it was consumed. I try so hard to stop it, but I'm in a haze. I can't speak or think or even be horrified when the beast tries to attack everything around me. It's all about the moon, the moon terrifies me and makes the beast angry and…

"…and then it's over. And I come back to myself when the torture of changing back starts all over again. If it burned at first, it's like ice transforming the second time. I'm always so cold."

The teenager seemed to lose steam then. His soft voice stopped abruptly as he stared blankly at nothing. The lines in his face were heavily pronounced and in that moment, he looked like an old man.

Was he ever young?

A draft went through the room and Hermione shivered, coming back to herself.

_Fuck_, she thought as she tried to discreetly and hurriedly wipe the tears from her face.

"I-I'm…" She tried when the silence began to suffocate.

Remus' gaze snapped up to hers. He offered her a tired smile. "Don't. As much as I hate to say it-I've gotten used to it."

Those words twisted the knife in her gut the worst.

Words: 430

oOo

I did research by watching the _Harry Potter_ and _Werewolf in London_ transformation scenes. The _London _scenes were pretty bad CGI hilarious.


	31. Taking

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Many, many thanks goes to: flyingberry, Angel Girl5, PhoenixGirl97, warewolf-princess558750, Morita-te, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Smithback, .96780, KEZZ 1 and bma925 for reviewing! Sorry if I couldn't respond to everyone, but I read and smiled like a crazy person over each one. Also to: 0Alisa0, aeriestar, Coffee-Flavored Fate, .96780, JesseLou, racethom, The Goddess Luna, BlackMoonQueen and EverydayMagic17 for putting this on their story alerts. As well as to: 0Alisa0, Slytherin Loony Moody, msScorpia, EverydayMagic17, PhantomChaos and bma925 for putting this on their favorites!

It's been super difficult finding time (pun not intended, but enjoyed nevertheless) to write a bit more. But I thought getting 130 reviews on the 30th chapter was super cool in a weird numbers way. Hope you enjoy!

oOo

Hermione discreetly sighed. She knew that in this instance, he was revealing too much for this exchange to be fair. The thought of taking so much personal information from him without giving any in return was making her highly uncomfortable. But what could she possibly tell him? That she was a time traveler? That the potion he had taken was actually from the future?

Her hands were tied.

Thankfully, Remus continued before she could convince herself to say something damaging.

"But the potion… It… It kept the wolf from taking over my mind. I've _never_ been lucid before. But this time I was able to think on my own for the first time. I was able to keep myself from attacking anything in sight."

He matched gazes with her and something strange happened in the way Hermione perceived him. While he had been talking, she had focused on the minute scars on his face and neck. They were a clear sign of all he had suffered. They had stolen Hermione's attention, horrified her.

But now it was his eyes that arrested her. Their blue-green color fascinated the witch, but it was really what he was communicating that was important.

He was grateful. He was determined. He was _overjoyed_. He had hope.

In that moment, Hermione saw the power that she had. It had always been her mission to help any creature that needed aid. But she never realized the weight and power of helping someone realize that their situation could get better.

And if she could help one person, what in Godric's name could stop her from helping as many people as possible?

It was then that she made her decision about staying.

"Mister Lupin, would you like me to teach you how to make the Wolfsbane yourself?"

His bright eyes lit up even more. "Would you really do that for me?"

"It would be my pleasure," she said. And they both knew that her words were far from empty.

Words: 330

oOo

On the Harry Potter wiki, it states that Remus' eyes are green. But since that's kind of Harry's thing and because the actor who played Remus had blue eyes, I just decided to combine the two.


	32. Jealous

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Really rushed posting, sorry. Thank you everyone who showed your support!

Short but hopefully you still enjoy!

oOo

When Remus sat down next to James at breakfast, he swore that he had to be the luckiest, _happiest_ wolf alive. Both James and Sirius stopped eating and talking to stare at their friend. Sirius leaned in.

"What happened to make you so chipper, Moony?" He exclaimed. "James, do you see _this_?"

James leaned in so close to Remus' face, that Remus could practically see his friend's pores.

"I see it but I don't believe it. Is this really Moony?"

Remus tried to look disapproving but his smile would spring back onto his face no matter what. Reaching across the table, Sirius punched Remus in the shoulder. The grin stayed in place.

"Stop it, mate. You're creeping me out." Sirius paused. "What happened to you?" He demanded.

Too proud and a little disbelieving of his accomplishment, Remus said nothing.

"Maybe it's a girl!" Peter chimed in gleefully.

James guffawed. "Nah, who would take a second glance at Lupin, he-" He stopped teasing when Remus took too much interest in his plate. Their disbelief almost made it sweeter. He really was not very compelled to tell them, or to gloat. But happy things did not happen to Remus Lupin very often, and he was unaware of what else to do but share.

"Remus?" James asked. "What's really going on?"

Sirius must have read something in Remus' face. His eyes widened in complete shock. "Is it Miss Grey?"

Remus almost laughed. "I have private lessons," he announced.

The loud wolf whistles that erupted from the Gryffindor table kept the Head table from hearing Sirius' jealous cry of: "You're a bloody git, Lupin!"

Words: 270

oOo

Coming up: Dumbledore wins.


	33. Giving up Ground

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Every day I'm getting alerts about people reviewing, favoriting or alerting this story. It's so fantastic and I'm really glad people like it! (The constant alerts also remind me to keep working on it too haha.) My sincere gratitude goes to: .96780, Rinou, warewolf-princess558750, Angel Girl5, PhoenixGirl97, flyingberry, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, KEZZ 1, Jen103, Smithback and the Anon Poster for reviewing the last two chapters! Also to: NanaFreezy, Ravenclaw Dalek, WastelandRose, jbought, tulip13, burn me, Melissa Elizabeth Granger, italytigger, onebaddesire, NeverGonnaBePerfect, phantomoftheknight17, moonblaze1509 and jojo283 for putting this on their alerts. As well as: NanaFreezy, WastelandRose, Melissa Elizabeth Granger, Chibi96 and phantomoftheknight17 for putting this on their favorites. Thanks guys!

Hope you enjoy!

oOo

Dumbledore's office now seemed like a dismal place to Hermione. Not even the happy decorations and toys, the abundant sunlight and even the smile of the room's owner could not brighten the room. Hermione knew most of this was because of her anger towards the man. But she wondered what the war had done to him, _would_ do to him to make him so willing to do whatever it took to get his way.

She still respected him, but the woman did not feel obligated to like him.

Dumbledore looked steadily at the assistant perched on a chair in front of his desk.

"And how may I be of assistance today, Miss Grey?"

She shifted, making a pretense of adjusting her robes. The man could wait. After a pause, she spoke.

"I thought it would be prudent to inform you of how long I will be staying here at Hogwarts. In fact, I expect to leave around spring."

The elder wizard ran a finger through a shallow bowl of candy, faking his own nonchalance. "That is still a significant amount of time."

Hermione's jaw ticked. "Indeed. I have made a decision because of it."

Dumbledore slowly dragged his eyes up to the assistant's face. "And what might that be?"

"I have decided that while I will still fulfill all the administrative duties Professor Shaw requires, I will not be able to sit in all of her classes like before. Also, I will require a salary if I am to stay and live comfortably. Nothing exorbitant is needed, just basic living expenses." Hermione resisted the urge to let out a long breath. She did not want to say the next few words out of sheer stubbornness. But she would anyway.

"I am available once in the afternoon during the week and once on the weekends. It seems best if the club stays relatively unofficial in the school records but is open to the older students; with priority going to those interested in being Aurors. Perhaps a precedent can be established and others can possibly continue the program once I am gone." She tried stating her requests like conditions, scrabbling for the last bit of control. As soon as she agreed to this, it would be over.

Dumbledore would have gotten what he demanded and the power would be his. He won but he would not dominate her.

The older wizard spent an uncomfortable amount of time looking at Hermione with a piercing stare. Canting her jaw forward, she met it head on. He knew full well what he was doing and asking of her. She refused to feel guilty when she was essentially being coerced into this. After a few long heartbeats, he blinked.

"Is there anything else you require?"

"Simply the freedom to come and go as I choose, and if I make a recommendation about a student's training, I would like it to be listened to."

"Freedom to leave the grounds?"

Hermione carefully reached over and took a candy off of Dumbledore's desk. He watched her like a predator.

When she did not respond he tried to continue. "Miss Grey, you must understand the importance of this-"

Her eyes flashed gold and her upper lip curled into the snarl of a caged lioness. She hated when her elders acted like she was ignorant.

"With all due respect, _Sir_, you are asking me to manipulate the fabric of time itself. I have seen the war with my own eyes, cast spells in it with my own wand. I may not have your years, Headmaster, but I am _not_ naïve!" She took a breath to calm down and even her hair settled. Closing her eyes, the woman tried to reign in her anger. The next words were clipped but not impolite. "I require freedom because I am tutoring a good number of students. There will be times when I anticipate having to replenish the Potions stores immediately and will obviously need to duck out a bit."

Hermione deliberately locked gazes with the wizard this time. The message she was conveying pulsed firmly in their minds.

_I won't run away. _

He nodded. _Very well._

With a flick of his wand, a fresh sheet of parchment floated to lie on the desk front of him. A quill was retrieved in the same fashion. "I believe we should write you a contract."

"I agree."

Words: 730

oOo

Anon Review Replies:

Smithback: I didn't know that either. It was really trippy when I read his eyes were supposed to be green. Thanks for both the wonderful reviews. I am really glad that you especially liked the last chapter. :)

Anon Poster: Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, I try to make every chapter somewhat meaningful. I'm not using a lot of words so they really have to be about plot development, and I have to be sneaky when I describe the setting. I can't use like half a page doing that anymore. I'm glad to hear that I've been mostly successful at that. :) Thanks again!


	34. Three

All Harry Potter properties belong to J. K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

As always my thanks goes to: PhoenixGirl97, Lost O'Fallon Girl, .96780, KEZZ 1, flyingberry and a guest for reviewing. Also to: F75, mrandrewsforever and Katie89005 for putting this on their alerts; as well as to: Katie89005 for putting this on their favorites. Thanks!

Enjoy!

oOo

The warm bathwater lapped at Hermione's ankles as she slowly made her way into her private bath. She took a deep breath of the rose oil that had been released into the water and deliberately loosened her muscles in an attempt to relax. Candles were the only illumination in the large bathroom and the smoky scent blended in nicely.

There were times of great stress in Hermione's life in which only a long and productive trip to the library would soothe all of her worries. Then there were times that in her search for answers, reading would only exacerbate the problem. The young witch had a tendency to over think.

An understatement, but Hermione had come to painful terms with the fact. It had been difficult identifying when she was obsessing and when it was prudent to run everything over and over in her mind.

This was one of those times in which her mind was going too fast for even her body to keep up with. She could not sleep and a bitter migraine was tearing her brain apart.

Hermione carefully lowered herself to a sitting position in the water and closed her eyes. It was not enough to drown out the self-commendation.

Dumbledore had willingly asked her to become a criminal of the worst kind. To change time for his own selfish needs. Did that make her immoral if she agreed to his plan? She was obviously changing time. Hermione was equipping a group of people with an unfair amount of experience that only someone involved with a war could have had. How would that change things?

She doubted it would be enough to win a war. Hermione was experienced, but she was hardly a prodigy like Harry.

Did she even want the war to be won so early? How would that change Harry's life? Ron's? Hers?

Would it keep Frank and Alice from being tortured? Would it keep Sirius alive?

Would Remus and Tonks still have died, leaving little Teddy to his grandmother and godfather?

Hermione gagged on thick bile and shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she screwed her eyes shut and slipped under the water. It was black and she could still feel the slick tub underneath her and her hair floating around her face. But her lungs were burning and her heart was pounding a million times per minute.

Which was good. There were times in which Hermione did not need to think.

Words: 410

oOo

Coming up: There are times when Remus needs to think.

*Note: For those of you who are wondering, the plot is going to pick up pace in about 3 chapters. Also, we hit the end of the beginning portion of this story at about chapter 31, so maybe that will give you guys a clue about how long this whole beastie is going to turn out to be. Thanks again for reading and many thanks goes to those who review! It really helps to talk (type) things out.

Anon Review Replies:

Guest: I'm glad you like it. Thank you very much for the feedback.


	35. Two

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

No matter how much feedback I get or do not get, I still appreciate it. So much thanks goes to: .96780, KEZZ1, warewolf-princess558750, Smithback and LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL for reviewing! Also to: SunshineSazy, hockeyrocky for putting this on their alerts; as well as a thanks to hockeyrocky for putting this on their favorites as well!

Enjoy!

oOo

There were times in which Remus needed to think. Usually he would escape to his bed when everyone else was in the Common Room or the library when he got really desperate. But today he felt suffocated within the heavy stone walls of the school.

Stealing away from occupied friends, the werewolf snuck up to an empty Astronomy Tower. He could feel the growing moon looming overhead, but the sight of the stars and the smell of the dewy moors were enough to make up for it. He rested a moment, awash in sensation. Running his hands over the rough granite of the retaining wall, he wished he did not have to ruin the beauty of the moment with his thoughts.

The truth was, for the past few days, Remus had been stuck pondering the course of his life. While Sirius was trying to becoming an Auror and James was toying with the idea of becoming a Quidditch star, Remus had nothing. Even Peter could swing for a decent job in the Ministry.

But no one would hire a _werewolf_, no matter how Dumbledore interceded for _it_ or how high _it's_ N.E.W.T.s were.

Then he had to watch James and Lily cuddling together and even though he felt too young to commit to marriage, he had to wonder. What kind of woman would ever want to marry a werewolf?

A poor werewolf?

Remus laughed at himself and looked out towards the forest. It was times like this when he considered just giving up the magical world altogether. It would be a little difficult, considering that he was considered to be a magical creature. He would have to hide away from the Ministry. But he had heard that the Muggle world was large enough for anyone to fade into anonymity.

It was a nice thought, actually. It would be a little lonely away from his friends. But he would possibly be able to have a job. He would be able to walk down the streets proudly, bolstered by the knowledge that no one knew his secret and could judge him for it. Getting a companion would probably still be just as impossible, but two out of three was not bad for a reject like him.

Remus stopped, realizing that he was honestly considering it. He was truthfully considering leaving the magical world behind.

His shoulders slumped in defeat. It was a little shocking but not too much so. What did the magical world ever do for him? It had turned him into a monster.

He was at a crossroads now, and the worst part was that he was pretty sure that if he had to choose… he would not necessarily take the path that was expected of him.

Remus Lupin was tired of trying to prove his worth as a wizard. He was determined to be the best version of himself possible, but maybe that version did not have anything to do with magic.

Like that, a tentative decision was made. If he proved capable enough at brewing the Wolfsbane by himself, he would look into the whole Muggle thing.

For the werewolf was convinced that no matter what he did, he would never fit into the magical world at all.

Words: 540

oOo

If these chapters are getting you down, just remember it's early yet and I am a sucker for realistic but happy endings. :)


	36. One

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

As always, I'd really like to thank: flyingberry, KEZZ 1, Smithback and PhoenixGirl97 for reviewing! Also to: Carmen Hedgers, BL Taylor, Ingma, Oceanous and TawnyOwl117 for putting this on their favorites; as well as: BL Taylor and Oceanous for kindly putting this on their favorites. Thanks again!

Uhh, I added a few extra 600 words as an apology. The explanation for why I'm even apologizing is at the end. Enjoy!

oOo

After a few long moments, Hermione realized that she was purposely drowning herself. With that disgusting thought, she stubbornly surged to the surface. She spluttered and coughed, while throwing her arms over the side to keep herself up.

This brooding and self-harm was ridiculous. The witch refused to be beaten. She was Hermione Granger, and even if she did not have enormous amounts of faith in herself, she knew people who did. If Harry and Ron-some of the most important people in her life-believed that she could think her way out of everything, then she would own it.

She was not going to fall into despair over this. Dumbledore, despite his early advantage, would not win.

Shivering, coughing and waterlogged, the cleverest witch of her age made her decision.

Hermione would win this one. She had to.

oOo

Rumors in Hogwarts operated like small rodents. They scurried around, multiplying until everyone had at least heard some version. When Dumbledore announced the new dueling club at dinner, the focus of the student's attention turned to the woman who would be working one-on-one with them. As it so happened, the quiet Potions assistant was very easy to start gossip about. Mostly because she was a blank slate. No one knew anything about her.

Now everyone wanted to know about her-not just the Marauders.

oOo

The crowd in front of the DADA classroom was thick. Remus spotted James in the front and elbowed his way towards his friends. As he moved he could not block out the whispers floating around him.

"Isn't Miss Grey trying to be a Potions master? Why is she even-"

"I heard that she's a rouge Hit Wizard and-"

"No, no, no! She had an accident-"

"Frank got a good going over, did you _see _how she-?"

"Moony!" Sirius exclaimed. It was enough to snap Remus out of his unintentional eavesdropping. Sirius slung an arm over his friend's shoulders and disentangled the werewolf from the mass of bodies surrounding them. "Did you see?" Sirius asked and pointed at his name on the sign-up sheet on the classroom door. Remus smiled encouragingly then his smile dropped.

"Wait, you put my name on it?" Sure enough, scrawled in Peter's illegible handwriting was: _Remus Lupin_ right under _James Potter_.

Peter on Remus' other side nodded proudly. "Of course, mate! We're all doing it."

"But… I thought only people who wanted to work for the MLE were allowed to sign up." Remus reasoned.

James popped his head in. "Nope. Apparently seventh-years have priority." He slung a thumb towards the crowd behind them. "Most of that lot can't even put their names on the paper. It's been spelled to keep them away."

"But-" Remus started and then stopped. While he could not deny that learning how to duel would be extremely useful, he did not see the use if he was planning to leave anyway. Sirius' arm suddenly became extremely heavy, and the werewolf uneasily shook it off. His best friends had no clue. They were planning on figuring out Miss Grey and having a fun time dueling while he was contemplating leaving everything behind.

On the other hand, if he was planning on hiding out… being able to defend himself would be a necessity.

He sighed. The next few months were going to be painfully busy.

And as it so happened, painfully exciting as well.

Words: 560

oOo

Outtake-Meeting with the DADA Professor:

If Hattie Shaw was effervescent and friendly, then Professor Warwick Griffith had to be her opposite. He was enormously tall with a slim structure that reminded Hermione of a large bird. _Ha_, she thought. The observation was appropriate given his name. His long but thinning light brown hair was carefully combed out of his face. He looked down at her from a delicately thin nose and frowned in a way that was not unlike an older Snape. She wondered if this was what Severus would have been like if he had ever gotten his dream job. But unlike Snape's deep baritone, Griffith's voice was a tad airy.

"Now, Miss Grey, I have heard of your… _escapades_, yet dueling a _child_ does not connote your experience in the storied and oftentimes… _dangerous_ environment that is Defense Against the Dark Arts. I have prepared a lesson plan of the spells you are… _allowed_ and… _encouraged_ to use. That is... only if you are _experienced_ in using them."

Hermione sure had a lot of _experience_ with adults talking down to her. Yet, every time it happened, it still grated fiercely on her nerves. This man in particular seemed to get under her skin pretty easily. Either it was the way he stressed every other word as if to make sure she truly understood his insults or it was the way his beady eyes dismissed her on sight. Whatever it was, it combined to make her _extremely _brassed off.

She slammed her teeth together to keep her traitorous tongue trapped and simply bared her teeth in a parody of a smile. He handed her a piece of parchment that seemed a little too short.

Hermione took it as calmly as she could and carefully peered over it. As soon as she did, she decided not to ever listen to Professor Griffith again. She would just have to make a pact with the kids not to reveal what they covered in the club. The shield charms listed were woefully basic and the rest of the spells were too simple to even take notice.

Hermione briefly thought that if she had only this to rely on during the war, she would have been dead ten times over. Frank's Auror training must have been an extreme shock to him when they truly trained him.

"I'll be sure to let you know if I have… questions." Hermione said tightly.

He hummed. "While you might need me for guidance, I am far too busy to attend your little… _sessions_. If you have any issues, do not allow your feminine embarrassment to keep you from seeking aid of your superior."

Hermione nodded and watched as the bird man swept pompously away. So his patronizing was a gender thing? Good riddance.

As much as she hated to pull out the War Hero card, she wondered if _he_ had an Order of Merlin.

The thought made her anger fade away and she laughed into the silly list. Then she laughed again for good measure. For so long she had been put down because of her age or her heritage, but no one ever seemed to notice her gender. It was actually kind of nice in a warped way. It also lit a fire in her belly.

Muggle-born, young or a woman, Hermione was determined to train the best duelers to come out of Hogwarts in _centuries_. She never did anything halfway. Dumbledore may have forced her into this, but she would prove to him that it was dangerous to corner a Gryffindor. Especially one that had already seen how this all ended.

Words: 600

oOo

***Bummer Announcement**: So, I know I said my "hiatus" was only going to be a month long. But unfortunately, I'm going to be going to a place for another month with a really, _really_ bad internet connection and I'll have to borrow a computer. So I'm going to have to hold up on the daily updates but I'm going to write as much as I can by hand and try to continue the once-a-week things. Sorry guys. I do like updating daily 'cause it keeps me from loosing interest but stuff happens. Hope to "see" you soon!


	37. And

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Hello all! It's good to be back (I really did miss you guys). And while I was gone, a lot of people put this story on their favorites and alerts. So without further ado, my thanks goes to: KEZZ 1, Angel Gir5, Smithback, flyingberry, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Jen103 and Morita-te for reviewing! Also to: Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, OliveJoyOrsi, Faithk, bratgirl1983, TheIceCubeCancer, zero25, Green Craze, Slytherin Loony Moony, GinSeng-inTea, Skotadi, AcidxSunshine, Bitchpudding86, Epic Squenguins of Epicness and dancerengland for putting this on their alerts. As well as: hockeyrocky, Prophetic Bookworm, OliveJoyOrsi, GinSeng-inTea, merthyr, EmiraDonMago, AcidxSunshine, jamie0fishie, Bitchpudding86, Epic Squenguins of Epicness and Diana Wolfe for putting this on their favorites. It's really awesome that so many people like this.

Enjoy!

oOo

Anyone who knew Hermione would not be the slightest bit surprised by how she set up her first lessons for both Remus and the dueling club. The problem lay in the fact that no one in this time knew much about the quiet Miss Grey. That meant Remus' disappointment was bitter and heavy when he walked into the Potions classroom for his first lesson.

Waiting for him on a small desk in front of Miss Grey's own, was a test. He briefly recognized that this tactic made sense. The test was full of relevant questions that gauged his current Potions skills and a short answer section made him think about how individual ingredients could blend together.

It was just that he had been hoping for something a little different. Something more along the lines of working hands on. Side by side. He would reach over while stirring and their shoulders would brush and-

He mentally laughed at himself as he put the finishing touches on the last question. Walking up to Miss Grey's desk, he handed the test to the woman sitting behind it.

The Potions assistant quickly flicked through it, stopping every once in a while and humming. They were extremely neutral sounding; not good, not bad. At the thought of turning in something awful or even _mediocre_ to her made the tips of his ears burn. Needing something to do, the werewolf cleared his throat.

Miss Grey's eyes flicked up to his and she offered a smile that made his ears even worse. There was another pause before she spoke.

"Well done, Mister Lupin. You have sufficient knowledge of most of the concepts you need to start work on the Wolfsbane. However-"

Remus wilted.

"However, Wolfsbane is extremely tricky. She slid a book towards him. "I would like this read by next Tuesday. Out of all the texts available at Hogwarts, this one is the most comprehensive and as updated as one could expect for this time."

He had to read _all_ of it? Remus despairingly picked the tome up. Its leather cover was cracked and the ridges were black with dust. The pages looked like something had nibbled at the parchment and to top it off, the thing was so thick and heavy he could hardly pick it up with just one hand. But really, _all of it_?

These tutoring sessions had been scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The dueling club, Wednesday and Friday evenings. Not to mention he had all of his other academic responsibilities that were enough by themselves. Merlin, he had so many essays to write.

He gave what he thought was a silent sigh, but it was not quiet enough. Miss Grey peered up at him.

"Is it too much for you, Mister Lupin?" It was a question but the tone implied that she did not see what was the problem.

"_No…_ Erm, no. I'll do it."

"Very well, until next time."

He was never going to be able to sleep again.

Words: 600

oOo

Coming up: Dueling club is a Go.


	38. Go

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

You guys are awesome. Especially: Angel Girl5, Morita-te, flyingberry, Michelle Black a.k.a Elle, KEZZ 1 and LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL for reviewing; and even: Terra Young, FreeSpiritSeeker, oceanluvr and zuperankie for putting this on their alerts. Terra Young and zuperankie are even cooler for putting this on their favorites as well. Thank you all very much.

Enjoy!

(Oh, and yes I am officially back, and-fingers crossed-we'll return to the daily updates soon.)

oOo

The test Hermione had set up for the dueling club was a little different than the written exam Remus had taken. Written exams worked very well with things that involved memorization and a methodical approach. But dueling was different. Dueling was an instinctive reaction of muscles when faced with a split second decision. The only way to train for fighting successfully was to practice over and over until the muscles of a person's body remembered what to do before the brain had a chance to muck it up. Looking at the students now, she doubted that the students knew how to trust their bodies in that way.

They were lined up in one row in front of her, their fidgeting feet scuffing the stone floor of an empty Great Hall. She would have rather been outside in the woods, but the weather had turned for the worst. Since she had not offered Dumbledore knowledge of the Room of Requirement, the Headmaster had placed them in there, mirroring her experiences.

Running her eyes over every person, Hermione sighed. She was probably being too rough on them already. Just because she had been fighting a war at their age, did not mean they were incapable. Frank Longbottom was a clear indicator of that. They just needed to be molded.

Joining Frank were the Marauders, a couple of seventh years that Hermione recognized but did not know, some sixth years she was certain that had been Aurors in her time, and two fifth years. Alice was one and her friend had managed to weasel his way in too. All of them were obviously breathless with excitement, excluding Frank, who just stood there with a smile while he gripped his wand in anticipation.

They were all children who were interested in working with the MLE in the future and had high enough grades and a recommendation from a Professor. Many had applied. Fifteen had been accepted.

Hermione finished her analysis and straightened her spine. The teenagers stopped whispering to themselves and paid her full attention, even though the fidgeting continued.

The fidgeting was making her tetchy.

"Right," she said a little fiercer than was necessary. "As you all know, each one of you has been picked out a large pool of your peers. You have the qualifications and the desire to work in law enforcement in the future. While that is an admirable goal, there is something that must be made clear now. This is not a joke or a game. When you take that oath at the Ministry, you are willingly pledging your life in service to the citizens of the Wizarding World."

The corners of Hermione's mouth pulled the rest of her face down and with the shadows caused by dim lighting, it made the woman look grim. The children who had once been excited suddenly remembered Frank's thrashing and began to feel a little nervous. They heard her words and comprehended them. But they did not _understand_.

Hermione hated it. One day, each and every single person in this room would _understand_ the choice they had made and what it really meant to dedicate your life to a cause.

That is why she was not ashamed of her harsh methods. She could be saving someone's life.

"I will train you to the best of my abilities. Not only for passing your N.E.W.T.s but also for your future careers. It will probably be difficult and I do not doubt that you will want to drop out. That is acceptable. There is no shame in realizing that you are not as passionate about an idea once faced with the reality. Someone can even take your place.

"But now, before I teach you anything, I need to see where you all stand on your defensive skills. You will be safe in these walls. Nothing will harm you unless you do not heed my commands. If it gets to be too much, a simple "Stop!" will suffice. If you hear your neighbor say it, you will repeat the word and drop your wand. Let's practice."

Sirius rolled his eyes. Hermione made note of it.

They practiced while standing in their line and one of the girls had to stifle a giggle.

"Very well. We will now commence the test. I will be on the offense and each of you will be defense. If I tag you with a florescent mark or disarm you, you are out. Your goal is to protect against and possibly disarm me before I can get to you. Remember ladies and gentlemen, this is just a test. Harmless. Are you ready?"

They all nodded their assent. Hermione allowed herself a soft smile. It took everyone off guard.

Then all the lights-even the stars on the ceiling-went out. It was completely black.

Words: 800

oOo

Coming up: Chaos... but that's to be expected, innit?


	39. Brilliant

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

I apologize for not responding to anyone's reviews. I am still trying to get used to a different schedule here, but I thought that you guys would rather have a chapter than having to wait just so I could PM everyone back. I will _definitely_ respond and credit everyone in the next chapter. Thanks for understanding.

Enjoy!

oOo

There was a sickening moment of silence and anticipation. The kind where Remus' stomach dropped to his toes and his heart started beating overtime.

One of the girls yelped in shock and it was enough to kick his brain into action. Throwing up a shield charm, he dropped into a low crouch. If Miss Grey was purposefully doing this, he was not going to be an easy target.

Out of nowhere, a spell shattered the darkness.

"Bugger!" Frank exclaimed somewhere to Remus' left. The werewolf assumed that Longbottom was out.

Smart tactic. Miss Grey had taken out one of the most skilled students first.

The whole thing was clever. Especially the darkness. It was completely disorienting. He could feel his pupils contracting and expanding in an attempt to find any hint of light. And that last spell had left him with a painful afterimage he could not shake.

Clenching his eyelids shut, Remus tried to make sense of the chaos. What did he know?

The Great Hall had been emptied of everything in anticipation of the meeting, even the platform that held the head table. Every little sound echoed loudly in the cavernous space. Hearing. He could rely on hearing.

If he could, that probably meant Miss Grey could too.

Someone on his left was breathing heavily and somewhere in front of him, he could hear footsteps. Remus needed to get out of the open. Being near a wall would help him get his bearings at least.

The teenager turned around and started crawling to where he knew the closest barrier was. Along the way, someone gripped his arm tightly.

"James?" Peter asked.

Remus winced at the volume and had only a few seconds to throw himself away from his friend before a well placed spell hit its target.

Peter cursed loudly and announced the loss of his wand.

Remus took a moment to catch his breath before resuming his mission.

Godric help him, he had no idea how this was related to dueling. But this was one of the most exhilarating things he had ever experienced. This was brilliant.

Words:350

oOo

Coming up: Hermione has more than that planned.


	40. Sirius Happenings

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

As usual, a lot of my gratitude goes to: Elizabeth (sorry I missed you last time), PhoenixAgent97, Morita-te, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, KEZZ 1, flyingberry, Smithback and Angel Girl5 for reviewing the last few chapters. Also to: Into The Vortex, l0stinl0ve and Harmonee for putting this on their alerts; as well as: Into The Vortex and MB's star33-HP for putting this on their favs. Thanks guys!

Enjoy!

oOo

Hermione mentally counted off in her head. The students that had their wands seized were sitting on the floor, their chests tagged with a bright marking. The collective light from all of them was enough to illuminate the other bodies hiding in the darkness. Even without the extra light, the spell she had cast on herself beforehand allowed her to see everyone in the dark.

Three of the Marauders were still standing as well as two sixth-years and Alice.

It was just as well. Her spell was extremely short lived. She had only needed to cut down the number of people to half.

"Very well, you may relax." She announced.

Briefly shutting her eyes to avoid any painful adjustments, Hermione flicked her wand. Suddenly all the torches and the stars flared to life. There were groans at the sudden light difference. However, one student seemed to try and take advantage of any disorientation.

A quick "_Expelliarmus!_" was shouted and bounced off of Hermione's shield. She could not help her bemused smile as she faced her attacker.

There, Sirius Black stood, wand outstretched. He looked slightly disappointed.

"I did say that 'you may stop,' Mister Black. Meaning: desist. Meaning: nice try but no luck here." Hermione was far from offended, just more amused than anything. He had used a moment of distraction to try and get the upper hand. Of course, he had ignored her, but that seemed to be Sirius' _modus operandi_.

A few of the students chuckled, excepting Peter, who let out a loud guffaw at his friend's expense.

Siruis glared at Peter before turning his gaze back to Hermione. "You can't blame a bloke for trying."

"No, but I can blame you for not paying attention. Put your wand _down_, Mister Black."

He did so reluctantly.

Hermione took this opportunity to address the room at large. "I congratulate those still in the running. Those who have been disarmed will come, collect your wands and sit on that wall over there. After that has been done, those still left standing will get in line and one-by-one we will have a duel. Much like the one Mister Longbottom participated in. There, I will judge your strengths, your weaknesses and adjust my lessons accordingly. On Friday, those who were sitting today will get their chance to duel with me as well. Understood? Good, move."

The first batch of students glumly collected their wands and trudged to their seats. The second arranged themselves by an adjacent wall eagerly. Hermione muttered a spell that mimicked her circular barrier of before.

"Mister Black, since you seem so excited to duel, you are up first."

Words: 440

oOo

Coming up: _Es obvio_! (It's obvious!)


	41. Chances

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Many, many thanks to everyone who reviewed and helped me break the 200 review barrier! That's fantastic and I am very honored. So my gratitude goes to: flyingberry, KEZZ 1, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, a guest, PhoenixAgent97, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, zuperankie (thanks again!), Boo (chapter edited, thank you), Angel Girl5 and Jen103 for reviewing. Also to: fudgebrownies21, stargleek-always and Jen103 for following this; as well as: gwendel for kindly putting this on their favorites.

Enjoy!

oOo

Remus watched as Sirius proudly stalked into the circle. The barrier shimmered into place after allowing the animagus in. Remus was so caught up worrying about his friend that he jumped when an elbow jabbed him in his side.

"This is going to be great!" James whispered.

A strange sense of almost-dread settled into Remus' stomach. For some reason, he was not so sure he agreed.

"This is just a test of your skills," Miss Grey reminded the room at large. "For that reason, I will be on offense, you on defense. Are you ready, Mister Black?"

The boy nodded resolutely and saluted her with all the pomp of a pureblood before sinking into position. Miss Grey did the same. There was a moment of anticipation before Sirius made his first move. Both of them had their shield charms up, so they could move right into the duel.

"_Silenco_!" He cried.

It was a smart move. If it hit its target, it would limit Miss Grey to only non-verbal spells. Too bad it never hit.

The effect reminded Remus of a sprinting first-year bouncing off a brick wall. Miss Grey's shield kept Sirius' spell distant from her.

When Sirius' eyes sparked, Remus realized why he was so worried. This was Sirius' chance to finally prove himself as an Auror candidate. He could prove himself as much more than the class clown.

The only problem was: when Sirius wanted something, he forgot to watch out for the people in his way.

Words: 250

oOo

*Note: I apologize for the delay and the short chapter. I caught a bug overseas and some days I am okay and other days I feel awful. But I am very excited about 200 reviews and about this story. An anon asked if we could have a chapter from Sirius' point of view. Normally, I would have to say no. But if a lot of you are interested, I could post an extra outtake. Or if there is something else a lot of you want to see, I'll be happy to add something extra.

Have a great day!


	42. New Face

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

As always, my thanks goes to: Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, flyingberry and KEZZ 1 for reviewing. Also to: RedBear5, Rin596 and serenitylove07 for putting this on their alerts; as well as: serenitylove07 for putting this on their favorites.

Enjoy!

oOo

"_Langlock_!"

Hermione did not flinch when the jinx crashed against her barrier. Sirius had been letting loose spell after spell in vain. While she recognized the merits of using offensive tactics as a good defense, she realized this was more than a friendly duel to Sirius. He was being far too aggressive.

It was probably making him angrier that Hermione had not even lifted her wand in his direction. Sirius fired shot after shot, and all she did was circle around him. She watched silently as his spells progressively became more hostile and he worked himself into a frenzy.

She had never seen this side of him before. Of course she had seen a glimpse of his anger at Peter. But that had been raw, primal. This was… petulant. Spoiled.

Did Azkaban suck this out of him? Or did it just make it worse?

She watched and waited, observing. He paused, taking a deep breath, gathering his magic. Still, she did nothing.

"_Stupefy duo_!" He cried.

They both knew that it would not stun her. The sheer force of it was what Sirius was looking for. He put his whole body into it and she tracked it as the charm bombarded her shield. There was a crack in her defenses and like glass, the crack spread until everything shattered into nothingness.

Sirius, his wand still high, allowed himself a small moment of triumph. It flashed through his fevered eyes.

Hermione knew that if he was allowed a next hit, he would seriously harm her. His magic was nothing to scoff at. The woman made her move.

"_Obscuro_!"

Sirius stumbled, trying to claw the invisible blindfold from his eyes. In a few strides, Hermione was there with her wand at his neck. They both froze and she was so close she could see the rapid heartbeat in his carotid.

"This duel is over," she declared. "_Finite Incantatem_."

Hermione backed up as Sirius rubbed at his eyes. The boy was clearly frustrated and she instructed him to his seat. He needed to cool off.

Sirius stomped out of the circle towards his friends. He made it halfway before pausing and turning back to face her. The boy opened his mouth, raised his arm and-

Like a shot, Remus was on him. The werewolf gripped Sirius' wrist so tightly, Padfoot dropped his wand. The whole room was quiet enough to hear Remus' hissed words.

"That is _enough_!"

Even Hermione was shocked into silence. The two boys stared at each other, their eyes glinting in the torchlight. Sirius was the first to look away. He pushed his friend off, grabbed his wand, and stormed out of the Hall.

The Potions assistant waited for the echo of the doors slamming to fade before facing the students.

"The point of this club is not to _fight_. The point of this club is to develop the skills necessary to protect yourself. Especially in times like these. If you cannot handle the stress, or do not understand how to differentiate between what's real and what's fantasy, then please do not return. Understood?" Some people nodded, while people like Peter looked around in confusion.

Hermione locked gazes with Remus. She did not do anything special but he nodded his acknowledgment of her thanks. The woman sighed and tried to get her thoughts back in order.

"Who's next? Mister Potter?"

Words: 560

oOo

Coming up: Alice is an attention grabber.


	43. Adorably Arrogant

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

I got a great outpouring of support for the last chapter! Thank you all. Especially: Angel Girl5, JustTheGirl7, flyingberry, peevesisawesome, warewolf-princess558750, CloeyMarie, KEZZ 1, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL and Elizabeth for reviewing! Also: CloeyMarie, JustTheGirl7, MayhemBunny, MonstersInTheCloset, THEEmilyAllison, TMM7, Toujours-Pur-XXX, , peevesisawesome and for putthing this on their alerts. As well as: JustTheGirl and MayhemBunny for putting this on their favorites. Thank you!

Enjoy!

oOo

James Potter was an enigma to Hermione. He looked so much like his son and her best friend, but James' whole manner and way of acting was the complete opposite. Every time she looked at James, she expected to see him act like Harry. When he did not, her brain had a hard time accepting the idea.

The Head Boy lifted himself from the floor and brushed himself off while wearing a carefully self-depreciating smile. He loped his way into the circle. The boy oozed confidence and charisma. Even Harry, the Boy-Who-Lived and consequently was the richest and most famous man in the Wizarding world did not have this kind of lazy arrogance. In fact, instead of reminding Hermione of Harry, James reminded her of… Draco Malfoy.

Comparing the two was so ridiculous that Hermione had to stifle a chuckle. The only thing that escaped was a smile. James winked at a couple of guys that called out to him and made a big show of preparing himself.

"Are you ready Mister Potter?"

He answered in the affirmative and Hermione once again took the position.

She scrutinized the boy as his lips started forming the incantation for a shield charm. He had barely gotten his lips around the 'P' in _'Protego_' when Hermione made her move.

"_Expelliarmus_!" She cried.

He stopped dead, dumbfounded. At first, Hermione felt a little bad for not even giving him a chance. But the sheer comedy of the look on his face was enough to make up for it. She knew his major flaw even before he started the duel. He was too theatrical. James cared more about how he looked than being an effective fighter.

The Potter boy smiled and shrugged good-naturedly at the teasing from the sidelines. Hermione handed him back his wand and waved him to his seat. Even then, he sauntered away, completely calm.

Who would be next?

Her eyes caught on a student who was practically bouncing on the floor. Alice's face was so red; it appeared that she was holding her breath to keep from saying something. Hermione gave in.

"Miss Hart?"

"Deadly!" Alice exclaimed, eliciting some giggles. Jumping up, she swiftly stumbled her way into the ring.

Hermione gazed fondly down at the fifth year. "Have you ever been in a duel before, Miss Hart?"

"No, but it'll be a great craic!" Alice breathed. "How can I ever learn if I don't do it?"

Two points-Alice.

Hermione's regard for the little fifth-year grew every time Alice spoke. The time-traveler motioned for Alice to take the position.

They both faced off. The moment Hermione decided to go easy on her, Alice made her move.

"_Protego_! _Fumos_!"

Hermione blinked. A smokescreen? That was unexpected.

"_Ventus_!" Hermione responded. Then the duel was on.

While nothing they did was dangerous or especially taxing to Hermione, it was still a great duel. Alice picked spells that were in her range, but the way she arranged them was incredibly inventive. Hermione quite liked it. _These_ were the kind of duels she could get behind. Peaceful. Fun.

It went on and on marvelously. Like Frank, Alice only stopped when she was too tired out to continue. Hermione lowered her wand and walked to the panting fifth-year. Alice gave the assistant a big grin.

"How did I do?" The girl questioned.

"You did marvelously."

High praise indeed. Alice whooped her excitement and flounced out of the ring to give her friend a congratulatory hug. Intrigued, Hermione cast a glance at Frank. He was staring at the joyful Alice, appraising her.

Hermione did chuckle. That was adorable.

Words: 600

oOo

Anon Review Reply:

Elizabeth: Rest assured that the story will answer some of your questions. Thank you very much for reviewing and I am glad you are getting into it. :)


	44. Worth It

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

The outpouring of support from you guys is always awesome and encouraging. So my thanks goes to: JustTheGirl7, flyingberry, CloeyMarie, KEZZ 1, Smithback, Morita-te, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL and Michelle Black for reviewing. I also want to thank: mayrn90 for putting this on their favorites.

Enjoy!

oOo

When Remus' turn came up, he did not know whether to be nervous or excited. The concept of a test in front of others made him embarrassed, but he was looking forward to the actual learning that would come up after everything was said and done.

Physically and mentally he was exhausted from all the stress from the week. Yet the werewolf had gotten used to heavy fatigue from his transformations. He could push through this.

Magic tickled his skin as he passed through the barrier. It awakened his senses, speeding his heartbeat. He could feel the weight of Miss Grey's gaze. She had hidden a grin from James, given a blatant smile to Alice. For once, he was okay with others getting the Potions assistant's attention. All he wanted now was her approval. That was what he asked for before he left.

"Are you ready, Mister Lupin?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Begin."

He slammed out a shield charm as fast as possible. It was good timing too, before a standard disarming spell was fired his way. Miss Grey was very meticulous. She used the same spells at the beginning of the duel. They were not complicated but the speed of them was enough to throw everyone off guard.

Alice had responded by being inventive. Remus responded by biding time. After the disarming charm came _Obscuro_, and _Confundus_. The power of them ripped his shield to bits. He took a chance.

"_Arresto Momentum_!" He shouted. Surprisingly enough… it worked.

Miss Grey slowed like she was moving through water. It was enough time for him to fix his defenses. While he did so, she worked to speak something as she sluggishly raised her arm to strike. Remus racked his mind for another spell but it was too late.

Her spell went into effect and she moved normally again. He never got a direct hit anymore because of all the dodging he had to do. But apparently he did well, because she even graced him with a tiny smile of his own.

"Well done, Lupin."

It made all of his hard work worth it.

Words: 350

oOo

Coming up: Hermione sees the ramifications.


	45. Darker Matters

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

As always, you guys encourage me to write. This includes: flyingberry, KEZZ 1, Michelle Black a.k.a Elle, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, firefly81 and Morita-te for reviewing. Also to: Gyrffenclaw's Princess and Sytherinpranxtor for putting this on their alerts. As well as: Sytherinpranxtor and queensimi88 for putting this on their favorites.

The tone kind of shifts, but I hope you enjoy!

oOo

It was a funny feeling that accompanied changing time, Hermione mused. It was late; a frigid hour where even the ghosts and portraits were fast asleep. She cradled a now cold cup of tea with her left hand and held an unsteady quill with her right. Hunched over the desk in her quarters, she stared with bloodshot eyes at the ink-stained parchment in front of her.

Written was the first sign that she was legitimately changing time.

Hermione had been in a deep sleep, dreaming about one of the interviews she had conducted with Neville about his parents. The only reason she had woken up was because something about his answers seemed _wrong_ somehow. The thought tickled her mind until her conscious brain jerked her awake. Panting and horrified, Hermione had rushed to write the differences down.

She read the old memory.

_"__So when did your parents meet Neville?"_

_He shifted, a little uncomfortable. She had smiled at him and laid her hand on his in support._

_"__I just need as much information as possible to make an informed decision about how to approach your parents. Can't be changing the timeline now, can I?"_

_They both chuckled at her weak joke. _

_"__Well," Neville started after a sip of tea, "I've heard that they met officially when they were Aurors. They knew of each other from Hogwarts, but they never really interacted."_

Hermione read her scrawl over and over until she had to give up and rub at her aching eyes. She really needed more light to read than the dying fire behind her. This was all so frustrating.

The new recollection was there, taunting her. It was not really "new" per say. It still felt like it had happened almost a year ago. Yet Hermione knew that this memory had developed from the time she had finished the dueling club to now.

The recent memory went a little like this:

_ "__So when did your parents meet Neville?"_

_He shifted, a little uncomfortable. She had smiled at him and laid her hand on his in support._

_"__I just need as much information as possible to make an informed decision about how to approach your parents. Can't be changing the timeline now, can I?"_

_They both chuckled at her weak joke. _

_"__Well," Neville started after a sip of tea, "I've heard that they knew each other from Hogwarts. They had exchanged small pleasantries and apparently-this is how the story goes-they were quite smitten with each other. When they both became Aurors… they saw it as fate."_

It was a lovely story either way. Nothing major changed because of it. Frank and Alice were still confined to St. Mungo's. Neville was still lonely. It should not have mattered.

To Hermione, it did. As she spelled the parchment every way until Sunday to keep its contents hidden and shrunk it so she could keep it in her locket, her hands were shaking. Betraying her stress.

This was the first consequence of messing with time. She recognized the crossroads she was standing before. Either she could continue and keep affecting her timeline. Or the time-traveler could do just that, and flee to home.

Who was she to make this decision?

She was just Hermione Granger, the muggle-born child of dentists.

Although she had already made her decision to stay, she knew that if she did… she would feel the weight of it for the rest of her life.

"I'll do what has to be done," she shakily declared to the quiet room. No one was witness as she cradled her chest and mourned her freedom.

Words: 600

oOo

Coming up: Remus learns something that makes him evaluate Miss Grey and Hermione is finally going to do more than just cry.

*Note: I first read the concept of writing old memories down in _Concordia Discors_ by Enkida. For me it makes sense for Hermione, but credit is owed where credit is due.


	46. Something Blue

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Thank you to: KEZZ 1, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, flyingberry, , , Smithback, Michelle Black a.k.a Elle, Elizabeth and Morita-te for taking the time to review. Also to: Neezerbean and Wish Me Monsters for putting this on their alerts.

Enjoy!

oOo

Remus liked Lily well enough. At first he liked her because her constant rejections of James made for fantastic comedy. James' constant adulation of her character probably helped as well. When Potter and Evans finally became a couple, Remus started getting to know Lily better. It turned out that she was wickedly smart and delighted in talking with Remus about all the school work James did not want to deal with.

Remus was sitting in what now was becoming his usual spot in the Common Room. While the Marauders lounged on the crimson couches in front of the fire-prime real estate- Remus had taken over a small table under the staircase. It was close enough to still see and hear his friends but tucked far enough away that he could concentrate on his towering homework. The chair was wooden but comfy. A window was at his back, casting moonlight on his work, and the whole room was in view.

He jumped a little when Lily took the seat across from him. Her teeth reflected the light from the fire when she smiled.

"Why are you hidden away over here, Lupin?"

He tore his gaze from her teeth and grimaced at the mess on the table. "I'm buried in work," he groaned.

Lily sighed, and nodded sympathetically. Her ponytail bobbed behind her. "I understand _completely_. Not to mention you guys are doing that… what is it? A dueling club?"

Remus nodded.

"I hardly have time to study as it is!" She exclaimed. "How do you have time?"

"I don't." He grinned and she laughed.

"Well, at least Miss Grey can't assign extra homework for the club."

Remus thought of the Wolfsbane textbook hidden in his room and frowned. Lily went on, unheeding. She had a tendency to ramble, but Remus just assumed it was a girl thing and did not hold it against her.

"It's the strangest thing too. I mean, being a Potions assistant, teaching supplementary DADA? It doesn't make sense but…"

Remus tuned out, nodding and making noises of affirmative at times. It seemed Lily just wanted to talk today. He only began listening when it became easier to focus on her white noise than on Albert Magnus' Theories of Alchemy.

"…One thing I will say is that I do think she is very pretty. That hair… and her eyes are a very lovely shade of blue."

"They're brown," Remus muttered without thinking.

Lily stopped her tirade and looked at him like he had lost something important. In the head. Like his brain.

He fidgeted, suddenly nervous. "Aren't they?" Of course they were. They had branded him the first time he saw them and every time afterward. Even if he forgot her face, he was sure that he would remember that striking color.

After a few moments of silence, Lily laughed. "Of course, men never notice details like these. Anna!"

Anna, who was across the room, soon came bounding over. "Yes?"

"What color are Miss Grey's eyes?" Lily asked her friend sweetly.

The girl laughed. "Oh, we were just talking about this yesterday, weren't we? They're cornflower blue."

"Hmm, I was thinking more sky blue."

"Well that's certainly…"

Remus sat back into his chair, not heeding the cold seeping in from the window. For some reason, he felt stunned. Like he had been run over by the Knight Bus and never realized it until now. Miss Grey… well… of course she had… didn't she?

The next morning, Remus looked over at the woman in question when they were all sitting down for breakfast. He managed to catch her gaze from where she sat. Her caramel eyes locked onto his. She offered him a puzzled glance but did not look away.

He did not either as he leaned towards Sirius.

"Pads, what color are Miss Grey's eyes?"

Sirius lifted an eyebrow and flicked a glance to the Head Table. "Blue. Like always."

Merlin, Remus was so confused. What was happening?

Words: 660

oOo

Coming up: I don't know, I haven't written it yet. ;D

*Note: Gah! I have something awful to confess. At the beginning of this year, a few months before I wrote this, I read _A Safe Place to Hide_ by the super talented Flaignhan. It's also about (guess) time travel but the pairing is different. I was going through my favorites and I re-read parts of that story and realized that Hermione's psuedonym is also _Miss Grey_. I had no idea when I started this story, and I thought I had just pulled a G name out of thin air. It was a really big mistake on my part and a really embarrassing case of accidental plagarism. So I apologize to my readers and to Flaignhan, and give her (him?) credit where it is due.


	47. Trash

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Thank you very much: KEZZ 1, Elizabeth, PheonixAgent97, Morita-te and Smithback for reviewing! Also to: AnonymousMoodSwings, TinaMarie05 and ShadowsOfMyHeart for putting this on their alerts. As well as: ShadowsOfMyHeart for putting this on their favorites. Thank you all!

Muwahaha, now that I've sufficiently confused some of you, I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

oOo

Hermione's footsteps clacked loudly in the empty Potions classroom. Cradling her books to her chest, she committed the scene of the worktables to memory with a sigh. The pitted and stained wood, the worn stone floor and even the smell of potions ingredients were familiar to her. Most of her good memories were made here in Hogwarts. She was extremely fond of this place.

The people here as well, she mused, running the pad of her finger over the rough edges of one of the books. She would do anything for the people in her future Hogwarts and she was starting to realize the depths of her devotion. If she really wanted to help Harry, Neville and by extension, Ron, she could do that by helping the students here. _Now_.

She would start with the student who would be coming through the door any minute now. Hurrying to her desk, she sat down and settled in to wait. She had just summoned a chair for her guest when he swaggered in. Looking confident, too good to be there and aloof, Sirius Black entered for his disciplinary meeting. The pureblood waited for Hermione to nod at the freshly arrived chair before dropping himself into it. In an impressive feat of teenage dexterity, he slouched and draped his limbs over the armrests. Then he waited for her to speak.

"Good afternoon, Mister Black. I hope you are doing well?"

"Yes, thank you, Miss Grey." He drawled.

He was trying so hard to be nonchalant, Hermione saw. No matter how much he tried to act cold, she knew him. She could see the guilt creasing the corner of his eyes. This was a boy who would turn into a broken and poor fugitive, eating rats in a damp cave. Hermione was not angry nor did his atrocious manners succeed in pushing her away. She pitied him. His family abandoned him while his teachers expected him to amount to nothing.

Hermione wanted to make him accountable. She let him have it.

"We are here to discuss what occurred yesterday, Mister Black." Her-blue-eyes sparked as she spoke. "As you know, your behavior was completely out of line. Not only was the duel conducted in a malicious manner, you made off with every intention to attack me after it was finished. You stormed out of the room like a petulant child-"

He sat up and opened his mouth to protest, but she held a hand to stop him.

"-and you overall demonstrated your complete unwillingness to act like a rational adult. You were given a chance that less than ten percent of the students are eligible for and you throw it all away with a temper tantrum. Your grades are subpar and your reputation has branded you as someone no one wants to touch.

"I guess my only question now, Mister Black, is: Are you _quite _done ruining your life, or will you only appreciate it when it is _taken_ from you?"

Sirius' face had been getting redder and redder with rage as she spoke. When she was done, he could not help himself. The only other person who had talked to him this way was Dumbledore, and the Headmaster softened the blow with candies and sympathetic looks. Surging out of the chair, the animagus exploded.

"You don't know me! How dare you assume that you know what's happening in my life!" He spat.

Hermione was not bothered to even get out of her seat. Her fights with Ron had been ten times worse than this, and the redhead was physically intimidating from all that Quidditch. She had refined her forked tongue sparring with the Weasley. Sirius had no chance.

"I do know that you are wasting your chance of making something of yourself, Sirius. You could become more than the black sheep reject of your family. You could become a respected wizard, who was successful through his own hard work and not through the manipulation or money of his parents."

The part that he focused on was most telling.

"I am not a reject! I left of my own free will!" He screamed. His carefully crafted persona was cracked after just a few prods from Hermione. His face was splotchy, his beautiful hair mussed and his eyes suspiciously red.

The Gryffindor woman went in for the kill.

"Then why are you treating yourself like trash?" She questioned quietly.

"I don't have to listen to this!" Sirius blinked rapidly and stormed out of the classroom as loudly and violently as he could.

oOo

Friday, on her way to the next meeting of the dueling club, Hermione stopped in front of a shadowed alcove. The hallway was empty except for them.

"Why aren't you in the Hall?"

Wide eyes glinted at her from the darkness. "I thought-"

"I never kicked you out, did I?"

"No, but…"

She huffed and resumed her stride. "Come along then. Can't be late when you've been given a second chance."

The boy followed her like a dutiful puppy until they reached the grandiose doors of the Hall. Hermione stopped and gave Sirius a look that made her boys back home shake in their shoes. Her voice was quiet and strikingly serious.

"This is your chance to start making yourself who you want to be. You are completely capable of becoming a top student and dueler. If you sabotage this, I will be _extremely_ disappointed."

They were the magic words, and by the look on his face, she knew it worked. She pushed her way into the hall and Sirius followed on shaky legs.

Words: 930

oOo

Coming up: Remus puzzles and puzzles 'til his puzzler is sore. (Credit to Dr. Suess.)

Anon Review Replies:

Elizabeth: Goodness! I think that was the longest review I have ever received. Thank you for being so enthusiastic and for putting so much thought into this.

Phoenix: Hmm, was that a good WTF or a bad WTF? Haha, either way, thanks for stopping in.


	48. Belief

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

I want to thank all of my reviewers, but I have been noticing that FF sometimes cuts out some people's names when I list them here. I apologize and I am trying my best to acknowledge everyone. So if you don't see your name, I am not ignoring you or anything like that. My thanks goes to: KEZZ 1, flyingberry, warewolf-princess558750, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, Smithback, Elizabeth, Morita-te and TinaMarie05 for reviewing! Also to: L00ve-Joanna, sg1grl1984, thebesttiger and Twisted Schemer for putting this on their alerts. As well as: L00ve-Joanna and sg1grl1984 for putting this on their favorites.

Enjoy!

oOo

Remus was decidedly anxious as he made his way to his next tutoring session. He had discreetly watched Miss Grey at the dueling club, during meals, in the halls. Every time he saw her, his conclusions were the same. Her eyes _were_ brown. Not just brown, but a terribly attractive shade of gold. While Sirius might have been taking the piss out of the werewolf, Lily and Anna had no reason to lie about eye color.

He thought maybe something was wrong with him. With his heritage, that was completely possible. Remus had used his weekend to scour the library on books that even so much as mentioned werewolves. He had looked to see if lycanthropes were prone to colorblindness, had devoured a section on heightened senses and had blushed profusely while reading theories on how wolves and their human counterparts chose their "mates."

Nothing explained this phenomenon.

Remus' fingers clenched the Wolfsbane book as he attempted to calm down. Entering the Potions classroom, he walked up to where Miss Grey was standing behind a worktable. Various potions ingredients sat in their vials, surrounding a cauldron and a knife.

"Good morning Lupin," she greeted. "Did you finish the book?"

"Yes, Miss Grey. I also took some notes."

She brightened. "You did? May I see?"

He handed the parchment over, feeling like a swot. On it was the steps to brewing the potion and a brief description of the magical qualities of each ingredient. She read it quickly and gave it back with a smile.

"Very well done. You've actually saved us a bit of time and trouble."

Remus was pleasantly surprised to hear that. He was afraid she was going to think that was how he spent all his time. Studying.

He did not know why she would care, but it bothered him.

Miss Grey continued on, interrupting his mental agony. "Today was going to be more of a lecture, but since you took half of my material away, I'll have to start in the middle."

"Sorry," he said.

She gave an amused half-laugh that both embarrassed him more and managed to make him happy. He made her laugh. Fancy that.

"Never apologize for being efficient, Mister Lupin. Now come. Stand next to me and we'll get started."

Sweet Merlin, this was approaching daydream territory. The teenager felt his neck heat up, but clumsily made his way to the table. He stood at the edge, until she patted a stool right next to her. Once seated, he could not help but inhale deeply. It smelled like the sharp sting of potions ingredients, but it also smelled like her. He had never been this close before.

"What we are going to do today and Thursday, is brew the version of Wolfsbane that is in your notes. The newer version is the one I've given to you, but it is a bit trickier. Understanding the older version is a must."

He was trying so hard to pay attention.

"I'll walk you through this one today, and next time you can attempt to start one on your own."

Remus watched and asked questions as Miss Grey brewed. She was very skilled and he could see clearly why she was the Potions assistant. Every ingredient she chopped was the same size and her stirring and monitoring of the fire was extremely precise. It was awe-inspiring just watching her and his affection for the woman only grew.

Caught up in his thoughts, he was jerked back to reality when he noticed what she was saying.

"The crux of magic, is that it is dependent on believing in the result. I know that if I follow certain instructions, I will get a potion. But if I truly do not believe that a Pepper-Up will cure my headache, then I have robbed the potion of one of the key magical factors. Belief.

"For wizards, it is easy to believe in magic. But to Muggles, it is sometimes downright impossible. Even when it happens in front of them, it can be explained away or the spell does not work properly. All because someone does not believe. It is even worse when someone knows what something is supposed to be like originally. If someone refuses to believe that a wizard can transfigure into a cat, the cat might start looking a bit more human instead."

Remus watched in horror as her once pin-straight hair started curling up at the ends. He was on the verge of discovering something about Miss Grey, and he was not sure if he wanted to believe it.

As soon as he could, he stole up to the library and looked at a completely different subject than before. Maybe her eye color was not his fault, but _hers_.

He steeled himself with a deep breath and found the book he was looking for. It was on changing and disguising appearances. He hoped he was wrong.

Words:820

oOo

Coming up: Training is going well.

*Note: I apologize for missing two days. I'm not leaving again, it was just a fluke. Even I cannot keep writing such brilliance every day. Kidding. _Kidding!_ A joke is better than an excuse right? :)


	49. Alleviation

**Edited 8/14/2013: For continuity reasons.**

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

As always, big hugs and thanks goes to: zuperankie, flyingberry, Smithback, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, KEZZ 1, a Guest, Elizabeth, margi209 and Morita-te for reviewing! Also to: kimicko96 and 42-Worlds-Apart for following this, as well as to:kimicko96 for putting this in their favorites.

Enjoy!

oOo

Training was going well. Knowing of its effectiveness, Hermione had styled the dueling sessions after DA meetings. She would teach the children a spell and they would practice it alone or with a partner until they had at least gotten the first steps down. This time they were doing one that Hermione believed to be one of the most important. Especially if they were going to be dealing with Death Eaters and Dementors.

The _Patronus _spell. However, no one there knew it, or even had a vague idea about what it did. Upon learning this, Hermione had to close her eyes against rage towards Professor Griffith. _What_ was the man teaching them?

She had thought that the spell would be complimentary to his curriculum. But she now realized what her observations had been trying to tell her. The students were _woefully_ underprepared. They knew basic shield charms and things they had cobbled together mostly from supplemental reading.

Next time, she would teach them something less difficult. For now, they tried it and Hermione walked around, offering tips and attempting to let them puzzle it out naturally.

Surprisingly enough, one of the sixth years and Alice's friendgot corporal _patronuses _quickly. She dismissed them. They deserved a break.

Alice, though, was having trouble. Watching the Irish girl made Hermione want to laugh even though she felt bad. Alice was attacking the air with her wand and an extremely determined look on her face. When Hermione walked over, the teenager deflated.

"I can't get it!" Alice huffed angrily. She called the spell a few choice words and sighed. "I dunno what I'm doing wrong!"

Hermione's fingers curled over Alice's wand. The girl stopped fighting with nothing and paid full attention.

"Well, _what _are you doing? How is your happy memory?"

Alice glowered at her wand. "I'm thinking how happy I'll be when I get this spell!"

Hermione fought hard not to show her amusement on her face. Thankfully, Alice was too busy trying to light her wand on fire with a glare to notice.

"That is… not _exactly_ a memory, Miss Hart. Do you have any other happy memories?"

Alice's face twisted into something vulnerable. It unsettled Hermione to see the headstrong little witch look so sad.

"Well, yeah but…" Here she muttered something in Gaeilge then turned to face her teacher, all the fire back. "Yeah, o'course! But most of my happy memories remind me of sad things."

Even though Alice spoke this completely without shame in an attempt to deflect pity, Hermione could not help but feel sorry for the little one anyway. Taking Alice's hand in both of hers, Hermione watched the girl try her best to look like she did not want to cry.

The time traveler was struck with an idea but did not know if it would work. Letting go of Alice, she walked to the front.

"Attention, everyone. We are going to work with partners." Everyone looked to their friends. "That _I assign_." They moaned but listened for their names.

She paired everyone mostly according to their skill sets. A stronger person would go with a weaker person and they would help each other. Except for two, who both were very talented by themselves.

"Frank and Alice," Hermione announced. Alice looked like Hermione had electrocuted her but bumbled unsteadily over to Frank anyways. Frank, of course, was a complete gentleman and offered to watch her wand work if she watched his.

By the way Alice's eyes were shining, Hermione wondered if Alice would get the hang of things after all.

Words: 594

oOo

Coming up: Remus is too confused to focus.

Anon Review Replies:

Guest ("-Me?" Phaha, _really_? Nice.:) ): Thanks for the review! I woke up super groggy and all I could focus on was your signature but that you took the time to review was nice!

Elizabeth: Whoa, maybe I should let you write this, 'cause clearly your imagination is way cooler than mine (not even kidding haha)! Thank you so much for spending so much time puzzling this story out, I am very honored. Hope you like what I have planned!


	50. Puzzle Pieces

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Thanks for the patience! In the next couple of weeks, my posting might be a little on-and-off and I thought you should know. But never fear, I'm still committed to this! So thank you to: FromAshesBorne (who caught my mistake), zuperankie, Angel Girl5, KEZZ 1, flyingberry, Morita-te, Elizabeth and PhoenixAgent97 for reviewing! Also to: Evanna23, FromAshesBorne, Wee-Vicky, hemiyami, junegirl, mevs and TeaLoversAnonymous for putting this on their alerts; and to: Evanna23 and TeaLoversAnonymous for putting this on their favorites. It is very heartening seeing that so many people are keeping up with this.

Enjoy!

oOo

Remus tracked Miss Grey's every movement as she made her way through the people in the dueling club. She had unknowingly-or knowingly- stated a caveat to spells and potions that changed one's appearance. Once he _knew_ that her appearance was false, the magic started breaking down. That's why he saw the true color of her eyes and the way her hair started becoming more and more wavy. The spell was strong, but any kind of magic would fail eventually with that kind of blatant disbelief.

The only question now, was why?

He had partnered up with Sirius. Remus was too preoccupied to focus on anything relating to the spell. Sirius was also having problems and scowled good naturedly at his friend.

"This is an awful showing, mate." Sirius said. "I'd thought that if I didn't get it, you would and I would pretend it was mine."

Remus did not have the heart to laugh. For at that moment, Miss Grey approached Sirius.

"Problems, Mister Black?"

Sirius straightened and for some reason looked genuinely abashed. "No, no Ma'am."

"Well let's see how it is going," she encouraged and Sirius attempted a _Patronus_ once more.

Nothing. They both talked about the quality of the memory and his wand movements. Remus did not hear a word.

The truth: he was living in a time where the magical world was becoming a dangerous one. There were rumors of war everywhere and a faceless menace had featured in many nightmares in a lot of the dormitories throughout Hogwarts. He had heard the stories of Death Eaters.

What if Miss Grey was-No. He did not believe it. Yet she was hiding something. From the wards on her room to the way she kept herself aloof and disguised. Merlin knew the werewolf _liked_ the Potions assistant and the thought that he was possibly enamored with something false…

Miss Grey came over to talk to Remus. He tried very hard to look like he was paying attention. Then he just couldn't hold back anymore. He would figure out this puzzle.

"You don't sound like you're from Wales," Remus blurted, then looked away. "Sorry."

Miss Grey stopped, surprised. Then she chuckled. "Oh goodness no, I only studied there."

Remus noticed she did not offer where she was originally from. She answered the question without giving out any additional information. He would have to see if she did that often.

Words: 400

oOo

Coming up: Hermione sees potential.

Anon Review Replies:

Elizabeth: Can't blame you for your fangirling over those shows, especially since they're pretty good! Hope my story can keep you guessing! Thank you very much for your kind words and for reviewing.

PhoenixAgent97: Caught you! :D Haha, I do have to admit confusion though when you say you want to know who is who. I hope I didn't make it too difficult to understand. Thanks for reviewing.


	51. Mistake

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

My affection and gratitude goes to: flyingberry, KEZZ 1, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, PhoenixAgent97, Elizabeth, Lexa and Angel Girl5 for reviewing. Also to: gara lover99, fabel and Attamisk for putting this on their alerts; as well as to: fabel, Attamisk and xxlilmusicxx for putting this on their favorites.

Enjoy!

oOo

Hermione wondered if you could taste change in the air. She could. Or maybe she just sensed it. It followed her, tainting her morning eggs and changing the way the corridor smelled. Something had the potential to happen, but what?

She had a few more sessions of the dueling club and of Remus' tutoring. She was pleased by her students' progress and celebrated with Alice when the fifth-year brought in her first Outstanding of the semester. Hermione had settled into more of a routine than ever before and yet that feeling still haunted her. She should have been more aware.

The assistant had held Remus at such a distance that she did not see his strange new behavior. Or that her magic felt different only when he was around.

oOo

Almost three weeks in, and Remus was finally making his own version of the Wolfsbane. He had needed to take a break after the full moon, and that had thrown off the schedule. However, Hermione was not offended. She fully understood. His only problem was that he felt too weak after the moon to make it that morning.

Instead, Hermione encouraged him to meet her that night after dinner. To protect the Wolfsbane, she placed a barrier around the potion that kept it in a state of suspended animation. The plan was that he would join her in the library where she was grading papers, and they would head to the dungeons where he could check the consistency of his concoction and finish the job.

Hermione had finished the papers in record time and was roaming the aisles, looking at the books fondly. There were so many she had not read and she had always wished for more time as a child to read them all. That was one of the reasons she did her grading in there. It was nice to be surrounded by so much knowledge.

A book caught her eye but a werewolf found her first. His eyes flashed in the candlelight, for it was dark now. She greeted him warmly; aware of how dreadful he must be feeling.

"Good evening, Mister Lupin. Are you well?"

He gave a faint smile and nodded. "Yes, Miss. Thank you for meeting me so late."

She waved it off. "It is not a problem." It was not. All of her tutoring sessions that day were always before the evening meal so this slot was always free. "Let me just get this book and we'll be off, yes?"

Remus made a small noise of agreement and watched as Hermione reached fairly high up for the tome. She already had her briefcase in her right hand so she had to reach for it with the left, her sleeve falling to her elbow. It was because of these factors, plus Remus' new found ability to see through her patchy disguise, that he saw something that she worked hard to cover up.

In the dim light, the contours of Hermione's scar stood out sharply.

_Mudblood_.

Words: 500

oOo

Coming up: Remus reacts fiercely.

*Note: About Hermione's scar, I cannot remember where J.K. said it was placed other than Hermione's "arm." In the movie, this meant her left bicep, but I like to think that in Bellatrix's warped mind, it would be poetic to carve such an insult where a Dark Mark would be: on the left forearm. That is how it is in this story, but to each his own!

Anon Review Replies:

Phoenix: The reason Hermione is traveling in time can be found in chapter 3, as well as any chapter mentioning Alice and/or Frank. I hope that helps.

Elizabeth: I've had these next few chapters written for a while and every time you mentioned the scar I thought about this. :)

Lexa: I am very glad I can keep you guessing! Thank you for reviewing!


	52. Hard Decisions

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

These people: Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, Hayoung7, warewolf-princess558750, zuperankie, PheonixAgent97, Morita-te, Elizabeth, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL and maranjade; deserve props for reviewing. So does: gara lover99 for putting this on their favorites. Kallanit said that the scar was a movie addition, so thanks!

Please forgive me for taking this a little slow. I've never attempted a story of this magnitude so sometimes I need to take a couple of days to think about even a few words. Enjoy!

oOo

For a long moment, everything in Remus' world narrowed down to the sight of Miss Grey's scar and the rushing of blood in his ears. He did not understand. How could she… If she was a Death Eater then…

Miss Grey paused, sensing the sudden tension. She scanned their surroundings, looking for any signs of danger. The woman seemed to be unconcerned until she spotted her arm.

They matched gazes. "You can see it?" She asked softly.

Remus nodded, still in shock. It became worse when she sighed and gave a slight smile. They matched gazes and her amber eyes seemed to probe him.

"I wonder what else you can see."

There was a beat where Remus was lost. He felt like she was pulling him in, into something he would never get out of. There was so much about her that he could not figure out. Surrounding her was mystery and drama and this close, he could see a little pain hidden behind her flecked irises.

The werewolf felt so young compared to this giant, this titan. She was a warrior and he was just a student.

He broke the staring contest and could breathe again.

Did he want to get involved with this? He could pretend he never saw it, just like he never saw the more terrible things that happened to Snape and some other Sytherins. Or he could actively inject himself in this woman's world. It would probably be over his head and he would most likely connect himself too deeply to her.

So what would it be?

Miss Grey held the book close to her chest, hiding her still exposed arm.

_Mudblood_.

So not a Death Eater then.

Like that, Remus decided to throw caution to the wind. He liked her too much to _not_ get involved. The werewolf would find out who this woman was once and for all, and help her if he could. For he understood physical and emotional pain very well.

Words: 330

oOo

Coming up: Hermione faces tough questions.

Anon Review Reply:

Elizabeth: All of your questions make sense and no, I think most of what you are saying is correct. However, I make a point not to wax poetical on anon replies, because I tend to make them longer than the chapter haha. So thank you very much.

Pheonix: Thank you!


	53. Defining Moments

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

_Sufferin' succotash!_ Over three hundred reviews, that's fantastic! I honestly did not expect to get so many. Thanks to Jen103 for being my 300th reviewer. I also cannot forget the lovely people who also weighed in and made my day a little brighter. Much love goes to my reviewers: Hayoung7, KEZZ 1, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Elizabeth, Phoenix, margi209, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, Jen103 and Angel Girl5. Also to: Amberofthemoment, Dragoness101 and Gipsy1603 for putting this on their alerts. As well as to: DynamicCheetah, SamehJay and Dragoness101 for putting this on their favorites. I write what's in my head but I try really hard in an attempt to write something you guys will like. I'm so glad you do.

Enjoy!

oOo

Hermione was honestly at a complete loss at what to do. She suspected she knew what was happening with her disguise. It was her fault. The only problem was how to remedy it.

The time traveler did not know how to explain the scar away. She had not prepared a back story or reason for why she had such a mark. The fact that Remus could see it in the first place caused problems for her and her cover.

She tried brushing it off. "We should get to the dungeons."

She made to pass him in the small aisle but he stepped in front of her. Hermione shrugged the shoulder-strap to her briefcase on, her fingers touching her wand hidden inside for easy access. Remus focused on her left hand so his face was unreadable.

He reached out, and Hermione tensed and tried not to flinch. He took her shield-the book-out of her hands and placed it face down on a nearby shelf. Then he reached for her wrist.

She looked down at their connected skin in confusion. This was the first time in any timeline where Lupin had ever initiated personal contact with her. Before, he had been her kind but reserved professor. It had seemed that in this time he was just as reticent and hesitant. Maybe if he had been any other student, she would have pulled back, but she had made the mistake long ago of thinking of him as her old friend. In a strange way, this seemed like a natural progression of their friendship.

It should not have. And that is why she was frozen in place when the boy pushed the sleeve of her robe to her elbow. He still cradled her limp hand with his long fingers while using his left to keep the cloth out of the way.

"Who… who in the world would do this to you?" He questioned quietly, staring in horror at her deformed forearm.

Hermione cleared her throat.

"It was a long time ago, Mister Lupin." She scrambled to retain her professionalism.

His loose grip tightened slightly and he finally looked up at her. His gaze was burning.

"Who did this to you?" He demanded and Hermione tensed even more. For werewolves, some of their more animalistic tendencies tended to reign in moments of high emotion. Apparently this was one of them. She could hear the husk in his voice.

He pressed in a bit. Far enough to still be proper but close enough that Hermione was uncomfortable.

"How could they do this to you?" His volume was rising.

Hermione took a moment to listen for any movement around them. No one else needed to know about this. The woman cast a non-verbal sound barrier. It would not last long but it suited her purposes. When she was satisfied that they were alone in that section of the library, she cleared her throat. He took a step back.

"It doesn't matter, Mister Lupin." She declared softly but confidently.

His eyes widened in pure shock. "How could you say that? _Of course it does_!"

The teacher looked down at her arm and remembered of all the times she had tried to get rid of that mark. The word that never meant anything before began to haunt her. But what was it really? A mark of shame, or of triumph? Would she be torn over the thought of hate that inspired this? Or would she view her scar as a sign that Voldemort and his followers were gone for good this time? Maybe evil and prejudice would never disappear, but statistically, her children would have a time of peace.

Then there was Remus. He was no stranger to prejudice either. The werewolf had his own collection of physical and mental scars to carry around. They probably preoccupied him more than her little wound could ever bother her.

Compassion flooded her, and she could not help but want to make him feel better about himself. Forcing herself to loosen her grip on the strap, she lightly ran the backs of her fingers over his cheekbone. He started, looking at her with wide eyes.

"It _does not_ matter, Remus Lupin. It does not matter because I _do not_ let it define me." She announced fiercely, still whispering. "People can degrade me and carve nasty words into my skin all they want, but as long as I know my own personal identity, it will never, _ever _be true. As long as I love and have personal pride in myself, this-this… thing on my arm will never hurt me. The person who gave me this failed."

"How?" Remus blurted. "It's right there on your arm! I'd say they won that one."

"Did they?" She had stopped touching him, and now she invaded_ his_ personal space. "Tell me, do I act like a Mudblood?"

He jerked his head away. "_What_?"

"Do I act like one? Do I act like a savage, or do I smell dirty? Do I dress in rags? My blood is not brown. Do I carry myself like I could care less if I live or die? Do I walk around like I hate myself?"

Poor boy was so flustered he did not know what to do. "N-no."

"Then the person who gave me this has not won. I do not hate myself and heritage like they wanted. I am proud to be what I am, and proud of my heritage. So in the end… even though I have this scar, I am victorious."

Hermione felt it. The corners of her lips curled up into a proud grin. They had won the war and now she was working at making things better here. Despite her mistakes and misgivings, she _was _victorious.

Words: 960

oOo

Coming up: Remus is having a hard time with this.

Anon Review Replies:

Elizabeth: It's okay I did know! I really do like your ideas, but I am also glad I can surprise you now and again. Thank you very much for reviewing!

Phoenix: Log in and you won't be bored with your name. :P ;)


	54. Carried Away

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Just like all the times before, I feel compelled to profusely thank: Angel Girl5, burn me, Hayoung7, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Michelle Black a.k.a Elle, warewolf-princess55780, flyingberry, KEZZ 1, Morita-te, wintersalad, "You" and Elizabeth, for reviewing. As well as: DrDonna (cool name!), Idon'tknowyet, The-edge-of-reason and wintersalad for putting this on their alerts. Also I cannot forget: Gipsy1603, burn me, The-edge-of-reason and scubatrex for putting this on their favorites.

Enjoy!

oOo

Remus was having a terribly difficult time wrapping his head around what Miss Grey was stating. He understood _what_ she was saying, but he could not see, not for the life of him, how one person could be so strong. How could she bear such a terrible reminder of hate and still be able to get the best out of it? For him, he had been surrounded by hate since he was cursed. He deserved it. But this woman had done nothing but be born to Muggle parents.

Yet she was still able to make meaning out of senselessness. How? How could anyone do that?

The werewolf stared at the Potions assistant incredulously and then looked at the scars on her arm. Against his better judgment, he reached with his left hand and lightly ran his index finger over the "M." He was struggling to understand. The thought that someone could bear to disfigure this beautiful creature disgusted him.

Remus looked up at her, pleading with his eyes for her to see sense. How could she not see what a tragedy this was?

She deftly pulled her arm out of his grip and sandwiched his hands in between hers. He realized then that he was shaking. She anchored him in place.

"Listen, Remus." It was the first time she had ever used his given name like that, so he did. "I cannot even pretend to know what all you have gone through. But you do not deserve the hatred just like I did not deserve my scars. We did not choose what we are and we are not guilty of deciding our fates."

His trembling got worse. No stranger had ever said this to him. His friends, family and Dumbledore had said similar but hollow words again and again. They had said that he was not a bad person, that he deserved more. But those sentiments seemed empty compared to this.

This outsider condemned his self-hatred and was succeeding where everyone else failed.

"You are _not_ a monster or a terrible person. You do not deserve the pain of the transformations or the condemnation of people who do not understand. You are a wonderful and intelligent man, Remus Lupin. Do you understand me?"

Her hazel eyes bore into his and once again he was lost. Unable to look away or hide his desperation, he swallowed against a lump in his throat. His whole body tensed and he wanted to pull back. The werewolf wanted to run, run, run as far away as he could from this woman.

Her words burned his ears.

She did not know anything. How could she know? She did not know him.

"Y-you're lying," he finally croaked.

Miss Grey reacted violently. She used her grip to yank him closer, as if the jerk would force him to see sense. Their combined hands jabbed into both of their stomachs as she pressed in, looming over him. Her face was inches from his.

"Am I lying, Lupin?" She snarled. He could not understand why she seemed so angry about what he saw as the complete truth. "Do you like it when you change? Do you enjoy being an animal? Do you? Answer me!"

He was shivering so violently, he could hardly stand. He couldn't look at her. He wanted to get away, get away, get away.

"N-n-no!" He stuttered.

"Do you like losing control? Do you like tearing up everything in your path?"

"No!" He cried.

She shook him once more for good measure. "Then why are you so bent on hating yourself, when you never asked for this?"

Remus had been hunched over, trying to hide himself from her wrath. Now, he slumped, emotionally exhausted. "Please let me go, Miss Grey," he pleaded. "I don't understand."

The woman exhaled and brought an unsteady hand to smooth back his hair. "I'm sorry, Lupin. I got carried away. I'm sorry."

"Please let me go."

She did. And he fled.

Words: 660

oOo

Coming up: Hermione has a new memory to put in her locket.

Anon Review Replies:

Phoenix: I've watched some of the adaptations of Pratchett's stuff. It's pretty funny! As people from the southern part of the U.S.A. say: "_Ain't_ is a word, but it _ain't_ proper language!"

Elizabeth: I am so heartened to hear that Hermione is in character! As always, you have great ideas and I'll have to credit you if I steal one. ;) Also, I have to approve any anonymous reviews and they don't show up on the story unless I do, so sometimes that's why you don't see your review right away. Thanks!


	55. Sleep Interrupted

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Thank you to: KEZZ 1, Hayoung7, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, flyingberry, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, in transit, Elizabeth and Phoenix for reviewing! Also thanks to: AquilaCinereo, Green Cat Claw, catlealin and kagomekikyo-arrow for putting this on their alerts. As well as to: AquilaCinereo, Nellie86 and kagomekikyo-arrow for putting this on their favorites. I appreciate it!

Enjoy!

oOo

Hermione was mortified. She could not believe that she had lost control like that. Not only did she scare the poor boy away, but she supposed he would not want much to do with her now.

It was just so tough for her. She saw what Remus was capable of and yet he held himself back and did not believe in his own skills and attributes. It made her frustrated and angry at a world that condemned someone for something that was not his fault.

Still, she should not have taken it out on him either.

Hermione could not bear the thought of sitting in her quarters with only her self-incrimination as company, so she headed to the teacher's lounge. Maybe the presence of so many academics would keep her from doing something stupid again.

Apparently, misery loved company. As the time-traveler morosely perused the book she had just barely remembered to grab, another professor sighed and plopped into the loveseat next to Hermione.

"Oh hello, Darling." Professor Shaw sighed. "It has been a long day, hasn't it?"

Hermione nodded a strong affirmative.

They sat in silence for a few moments until the professor fidgeted. Hermione looked around. The lounge was empty because of the late hour, so she guessed she was stuck engaging the frazzled teacher.

"Is everything all right, Professor?"

It was the opening the older lady was searching for. She kicked her feet out, titled her head back and covered her eyes with a forearm. Hermione fought a smile.

"I don't think I'm cut out to be a professor," Shaw moaned.

"And why is that?"

"It's just…" Shaw motioned with her hands when she became at a loss for words. "They're so _rambunctious_. And disruptive!"

Hermione chuckled. "They're children. They're made that way."

Shaw gave a grudging laugh and nodded. "Not all of them are terrors, I just… hate telling them no. Do you understand?"

Hermione nodded and reached over to pat the professor's hand. "It will get better," she tried.

"Yes it will." Professor Shaw stated. "It will and I can get back to my university students who actually _care_ about Potions. Did you know the usual professor is on sabbatical?"

Hermione raised a brow, feigning ignorance. "Oh? You're not the full time professor?"

Professor Shaw gasped. "Good heavens no. I'm on loan until Horace Slughorn gets back!"

"I've heard of him!"

"I would hope so. He's very distinguished and has been here for _years_. This is the first year he has ever taken off for personal study and reflection." Shaw continued talking and Hermione only paid half a mind to it.

The time traveler had been well aware of Slughorn's absence. She had chosen to come this year in particular, knowing the perceptive Potions master was gone. If there was another professor at Hogwarts that could discern the qualities of transformative potions, it would definitely be him. Hermione did not need the added stressors of trying to hide the fact that she _was_ hiding.

"Well this has been a very nice chat. I do feel ever so better. Thank you for letting me talk at you, Love."

"It was nothing, Professor. Have a nice night."

"You too," Shaw effused and gave Hermione farewell pat on the shoulder as she left.

Well that contact with civilization did not really make Hermione feel any better. Half an hour before, a thoughtful house elf had brought Hermione tea and a plate of biscuits. Sneaking one last one, the time traveler made her way up to her quarters. Maybe she would not be so embarrassed in the morning.

oOo

_Sirius had a tendency to take any opportunity possible to come in contact with others. Maybe he would keep a handshake going for too long. Or when the children were at Grimmauld Place for the summer, he would ruffle their hair in a teasing manner as they passed by. Some noticed and most ignored it. It was not until Hermione walked in the kitchen with some bad timing, did she understand. _

_Mrs. Weasley was presiding over a confession. Over the years, many a child's secrets had passed through her ears, and the Order's were quick to follow. It was something about her maternal aura that made one want to share. When Hermione interrupted, Sirius was confessing his own weakness. He had not realized how much he appreciated the presence of humans until he was locked alone in a cell with no one around. Neither of the adults noticed the little witch, because at that moment, Mrs. Weasley stopped directing the cooking and threw her arms around Sirius in the most loving bear-hug he would ever receive. _

_Hermione had slipped away quietly, but always gave a secret little smile whenever the mother would break down and proceed to hug the ever living snot out of the ex-convict at random intervals. _

_She thought of that day when she stood in front of the graves of Tonks and Remus. It was the anniversary of the battle that claimed their lives, and she had come to pay her respects. Andromeda, Teddy and Harry had already been here. A large bouquet of flowers had been placed here, the leaves on top of the grave cleared. Having delivered her own contribution, she was simply standing there, preparing to leave._

_Sirius came next to her, his shoulder brushing hers. She imagined Miss Weasley crushing his spine with her motherly affection and smiled._

_"__Hello, Sirius." She greeted softly. _

_"__Hullo there, Hermione." He sighed and tilted his head, studying the flowers. "They died protecting each other," he finally said._

_Hermione nodded. It was a well known story. But she knew that sometimes people just wanted to talk about someone who had passed. Just because. _

_"__When Tonks became pregnant, he wanted to join the Horcrux hunt so badly. But he didn't want to leave her. He was determined to be a great father."_

_Hermione stood there, unsure if she should add anything or just be a silent comfort. _

_Sirius shuffled beside her. "It's a shame Teddy will never get to meet his parents."_

_She nodded and hid her nose underneath her mittens. It was surprisingly cold for May, and she had needed to break out her winter gear. "But you'll be there for him. And Harry. So he will still have family."_

_"__That's true." It did not help anything hurt less though._

_The younger woman decided she should leave him to grieve. She turned away and gripped his forearm in what was her version of the Weasley hug. "Good-bye."_

_"__See you later, Hermione."_

_Then she left, walking over the grass and updating her warming charm._

oOo

Hermione bolted out of bed, really wishing she had warning when things like this were going to happen to her.

_Sirius was alive? After_ the Battle of Hogwarts?

She still had her memories of him falling into the Veil. She still remembered Harry grieving. There was absolutely nothing else in her mind that suggested the man lived. He was not there and then suddenly, he was.

And that bit about Remus? Was that really a change, or just one person's version of events?

Hermione groaned, and fell back into her messy sheets. She covered her burning eyes and mourned the fact that she was definitely _not_ going to be able to sleep any more that night.

Words: 1,220

oOo

Coming up: Are you confused? If you are, then good, 'cause Remus is too.

Anon Review Reply:

Elizabeth: Oh sorry, doll. You got so excited and then I took a break. Haha, but you were the first to comment on the Slughorn thing and you had very excellent timing! Although, I have to admit not to know what you mean by the scarf thing...? Thanks for reviewing.

"Us": I'm going to sound like a right nasty person as soon as I say this...But if you're going to try to promote yourself, and you don't log in to do so, that's crap. I know who you are, but anyone else reading the reviews won't. Or I might have forgotten and/or decided to delete your review because it really didn't have much to do with the story. (But I can't delete it if you log in.) So thank you for reading and caring, but if you're going to do something, do it 100%. Okay, scolding over, have a good day. :)


	56. Chocolate Frogs

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Much gratitude goes to: Hayoung7, KEZZ 1, Angel Girl5, zuperankie, warewolf-princess55870, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Elizabeth, Phoenix, another Guest and .96780. Shout out to lisa who reviewed a ton and reminded me that I like making you guys happy, which was enough to make me update. Thanks. Also I want to thank: elyven, tigersky7 and elizabethrenee23 for putting this on their alerts. As well as: CrazyKurenai and elizabethrenee23 for putting this on their favorites.

Enjoy!

oOo

"Who ate all of _your_ Chocolate Frogs, Moony?"

"Sod off, James, I'm not in the mood." Remus groused.

James pulled back as if stung and frowned at his friend. "You really are, aren't you? Fine. Let me know when you're not about to bite my head off, yeah?"

Remus immediately felt guilty and turned to call his friend back but it was too late. James had already joined Lily on the other side of the common room. The werewolf looked around and saw Peter on one of the couches in front of a fire, eating, coincidently, Chocolate Frogs.

_That's where they went_, Remus joked to himself with a tired smile. He walked over to his friend and plopped down with a sigh.

"Hullo, Peter."

"Hi," the boy managed to garble around many flailing limbs.

Remus could not help the mild disgust as chocolate pieces flew out of Peter's mouth. Catching the look, Peter smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, Moony." He apologized after swallowing. "I just haven't had these things in forever."

"It's really no problem."

Peter devoured another before it had a chance to run away. "You weren't at the dueling club yesterday."

Remus sunk lower into his seat and refused to look at anything but the flames in the fireplace. "Yeah. Wasn't feeling up to it."

"Shame, we learned a wicked spell. I can teach you if you want." Peter brightened at the thought of being able to teach the bookworm something.

"I'd appreciate that." They fell into awkward silence until a loud laugh from James drew their attention. They both stared at that side of the room. Remus rolled his eyes and turned to speak to Peter. The look on Peter's face was surprising.

His lips were drawn into a straight line. "He was my friend first."

Something about that statement, the vehemence of it, bothered Remus. He brushed it off but would remember it later.

Peter continued. "He's finally got the bird but is ignoring us. How is that alright?"

Remus tried to lighten the mood. "It happens. She's better to look at than us."

Peter frowned. It seemed to Remus that he was missing Peter's point. It happened a lot actually. The two friends would come to a stop when neither of them could understand what the other was saying. It frustrated the both of them when this situation happened. No amount of explaining helped.

Peter tried though. "It's just… I'm used to not fitting in. It's okay. It happens with you guys too sometimes. But James always made time for all of us. Now that he's got Lily," Peter shrugged, "where are we?"

Remus stopped and felt the weight of his own secrets hanging over his head. His crush on Miss Grey. His decision to leave the Wizarding world. The reasons behind missing dueling and tutoring. It had not even occurred to him to confide these things to his friends.

He blinked, stunned at the sudden realization. He did not even know what Sirius was doing right now, when before, they would be attached to the hip. Were they all that far apart?

Remus cast a lost glance and Peter, who nodded. They finally understood one another.

Words: 350

oOo

Coming up: Hermione makes a discovery when what she really needs is a nap.

*Note: So, I might have to kibosh the daily updates for now. But I will update at least once a week and as often as I can. Sorry guys and thanks for your patience.


	57. Scientific Method

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Many thanks goes to: warewolf-princess55780, Angel Girl5, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, smithback, Elizabeth, Liz and a guest for reviewing. Also to: Airyella for putting this on their alerts; and to: Airyella and GoddessOfTheFallen for putting this on their favorites. I really appreciate it.

Enjoy!

oOo

Hermione was sitting in the Potions classroom right before breakfast, pouring over a mess of papers and charts. It was not the best idea to bring all this stuff out in public, but she could not put them down. Ink stained her fingers and the sides of her hands from all her scribbling. She pushed back her rebellious hair, probably getting ink on it too. Every action had a hidden undertone of panic.

The time-traveler was struggling to find out what she had done. She had question upon question but not enough to formulate it into a reasonable and testable hypothesis. Her usual method of reading a few books on a subject to help her form an opinion was not working.

_None_ of the books on time-travel in this whole school approached the idea that time was _not_ linear. Every single author assumed time _was_ linear. An event and the subsequent consequences of that event could be tracked every step of the way. Harry's journey of defeating Voldemort was a brilliant example of it.

Tom Riddle, an orphan, goes through childhood experiences which cause him to develop delusions. He then takes steps to facilitate his goal of taking over the Wizarding world. An example: his horcruxes. His rise to power was very linear, very clear.

Or was that just the assumption of hindsight? Of course things were very obvious when all the cards were laid out.

Yet, Hermione was beginning to suspect that her past was not as clear as she had thought. Her being here in the seventies had changed her past. She no longer had all the cards tucked up her sleeves. She was playing poker without being able to cheat like before.

Pockets of her timeline were changing instead of one event changing _all_ of it. People were showing up where they should not be, without any lead-up to warn her of it.

She had managed to convince herself that changing the timeline could be a good thing, but she had not realized that she would be giving up her advantage. Hermione liked control and she fought to keep it from slipping out of her fingers.

A knock sounded on the door, making the woman jump and send some papers flying. Forgetting magic in her haste, she frantically grabbed at them and stuffed them into a random drawer. She pulled over a stack of essays and tried to make it look like she was grading and not plotting.

"Miss Grey?" A soft voice asked.

"Enter!" She called, out of both breath and sorts.

A dark-haired teenager walked in slowly. He stopped in front of her desk and took a moment to take stock of the situation. His eyes flickered down to her untidy desk and her quill, dripping with black instead of red ink. Hermione unconsciously smoothed her hair back. She realized that she had been treating it like her dark curls instead of the dirty blonde sheet it was now. Needless to say, ink showed up very well.

If Snape noticed, he was already very good at playing it close to the chest. "I have the potion," he said after a pause.

"Oh! Oh good." She accepted it when he handed it over and held it up to the light to study it. "And how did you get on?"

"It was not too difficult." The teenager always talked like words were a waste of his energy. But Hermione did manage to pull something more than the bare minimum once in a while. Like now. "It was a very different assignment than I would expect of Slughorn."

Hermione smiled, showing more teeth than necessary. "That's really just my bias showing, I think. As a student, I always thought my teachers never assigned the potions that I really wanted to do. You know? The cool ones?"

"Ah." There was a prolonged awkward moment now. One in which Snape was no doubt trying to figure out what "cool" had to do with potions. Hermione used it to curse her tendency to ramble when she was caught.

"Well!" She chirped. "I'll check this and you can come at the usual times to talk about your technique. Until then."

He inclined his head towards her. "Have a good day, Miss Grey." He slinked out of the room and Hermione could not help but visualize him doing that in his long robes of the future.

She waited until he was gone from the hallway to slump in her seat. Wearily she brought the potion back to the light. Universal anti-venin. Changing the future was terrifying, but she could not help but hope.

Words: 770

oOo

Coming up: The green-eyed monster pays a visit.

Anon Review Replies:

Smitback: He does to me too. It's kind of rough writing him.

Elizabeth: As always you have a lot of wonderful questions. Thank you for reviewing and sharing!

Liz: I offered that once, but no one really went for it. If I have time for an outtake, maybe, but for now...

Guest: D'oh! :) It's a bummer but it happens.


	58. Stepping on Toes

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Many, many thanks goes to: .96780, warewolf-princess558750, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, KEZZ 1, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL and Elizabeth for reviewing! Also to: Annnnnnnnja, Sophia0128, kimmeynell, TheeWhoLivesInTheWorldOfDreams for putting this on their alerts. As well as to: Sophia0128, .1 and TheeWhoLivesInTheWorldOfDreams for putting this on their favorites. Thanks guys! It really does mean a lot.

Enjoy!

oOo

Unable to stomach the thought of missing another dueling session and feeling like a colossal coward, Remus finally showed up Friday night. He slunk in behind his friends. Of course, Miss Grey saw him immediately, despite his efforts to slouch behind them. Thankfully, she moved on, starting the club and taking attendance.

Material-wise, Remus had completely missed one spell. They were starting new ones. She had been mostly teaching defensive charms, but today she was moving on to healing spells. In theory, they already knew the trio of spells being taught but never before had a DADA teacher let them try it. They watched in awe as Miss Grey mimed the incantations and the wand movements.

"Sometimes," the assistant said while demonstrating, "when one is facing off against a stronger opponent, the duel can indeed be won. But this is dependent on the ability to outlast the adversary. Healing spells are critical to this strategy."

She had already demonstrated _Episkey_, _Ferula_ and was addressing _Reparifors_, when the doors to the Great Hall violent tore open. Everyone jumped and Remus noted that some wands were drawn and trained on the intruder in seconds.

"_What_," Professor Griffth thundered, "in _Merlin's_ name are you teaching _my students_?"

Miss Grey turned to face the professor as he stomped up to her spot. He shoved his face into hers and loomed over her threateningly. To the intern's credit, she looked unfazed as the large man huffed and puffed at her.

"Is there something I can help you with?" She asked primly.

"I _demand_ to know what has _possessed_ your fragile mind to teachthese spells that I did not approve!"

Remus had never seen his DADA professor so enraged before. Professor Griffith was known for his temper. It was often that he would snap at a misbehaving student. This, however, was more than just glaring and a sharp bark of reprimand. He looked ready to hit something.

Remus stiffened in Miss Grey's defense, ready to jump in. He was glad to see that the others still had not put away their wands either. His grip tightened on his own, ready to strike.

Miss Grey's eyes slid over to the students, and stopped on the sheer number of wands trained on the aggressor.

"Perhaps, Professor, we may talk about this in private?" Her tone was entirely conciliatory.

"No! I will _not_ have afemale intern forgetting her place! It is not up to you to teach them. That is _my_ duty."

She inclined her head. "I understand." She motioned to the students. "But this is an advanced course. Only for those who have already mastered the general curriculum. Both Headmaster Dumbledore and I agreed that the material covered here would be complementary while also building on _your_ class lessons."

He sniffed at her and crossed his arms. "And yet, _Albus_ allowed the list of approved spells to fall to me. And _none_ of what you have been teaching has been on the approved list."

The children watched in rapt attention. They had never seen anyone be so polite when someone was yelling at them before. She was not scared at all? Professor Griffith had to have at least a hundred pounds on her.

"There was a list?" The intern questioned; her face innocent.

Professor Griffith growled and slashed his wand in the opposite direction of the students. Sparks flew off, shocking the children. Miss Grey blinked.

"If you're so sure of your abilities," he sneered, "then how about I allow you to prove them to me?"

She sighed. "If that is the only way you'll find satisfaction?"

His wand whipped to point at her face. "_Do not_ patronize me, child."

He was finally able to get a reaction. Miss Grey jerked back and swatted his wand out of the way. "There is no need for that. We can duel when I am done here and the students are gone."

He shook his head. "We duel now."

Words: 660

oOo

Anon Review Reply:

Elizabeth: The thought of Snape being nice makes my nose wrinkle haha. Thank you very much for your nice reviews. :)


	59. Line Crossed

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Oh goodness! I didn't mean to give you guys a cliffhanger, promise! I just stop at what seems like a acceptable scene break, and sometimes that happens in really tense moments. I did get the most reviews ever for a chapter for that last one, so I am very grateful for that (even if they were to light-heartedly complain haha). However this is a rushed posting so I'll have to reply to you guys (and credit all the lovely people who reviewed or put this on their alerts and favorites) next time. Thank you very, very much.

oOo

The last thing Hermione wanted to do was fight this man. She had read his biography in _Hogwarts_:_ A History_. She knew he was very talented, accredited and had been-and would be-in the position of DADA professor for a long time. The last thing she wanted to do was face a veteran like him.

_Merlin_, the last thing she wanted to do was _fight_. She was so tired of fighting. War was too much for her. The woman had slogged through her part in the future out of a sense of duty. Same with now. Dueling this man would not fulfill her duty. It would not help her mission or forward her goals.

Was she brassed off? Hell yes. Was it worth it? She did not think so.

Hermione tried one last tactic. Appeal to his professionalism. Some men valued professionalism over most other things and maybe this person would be one of them.

"It is not very professional to even have this conversation in front of the students," she murmured. "We should take this to Dumbledore instead of resorting to acts of violence."

He laughed at her. Oh, if there was one thing Hermione hated, it was being mocked. She could feel the heat rush to her face.

"Violence? Does it _offend _your delicate constitution?"

Hermione saw red. She tried to count backwards from ten, or use any other little tricks she had learned from dealing with Ron. They were not working. She was about to storm out and simply leave him hanging when he leaned in.

Never in her life would Hermione repeat what the man had said to her. When Harry went over her memories in a pensieve later, this part would be blocked out, literally stricken from the records. Some would ask her but she would never say. It offended her more than Malfoy's cries of "_Mudblood!_" It got to her in a way that Ron's intimate knowledge of her weak spots never could. It even made her more righteously indignant than Harry's treatment at the hands of people like Rita Skeeter.

With flinty eyes, Hermione's face turned into stone. It struck fear in her student's hearts and even made the professor step back in surprise.

"Fine." Her face was shadowed with the starlight from above. "If this is what you really want. We shall duel."

Words: 390

oOo

Coming up: Oh boy...


	60. Supposititious Invincibility

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

I made this chapter a little longer because of so much demand from you guys and because it was the least I could do after hitting the 400 review mark. I am ecstatic. Thanks to: Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, arabellagrace, queensimi88, TheFantabulousPotterHead, KEZZ 1, warewolf-princess558750, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Morita-te, flyingberry, margi209, Gryffenclaw's Princess, Angel Girl5, zuperankie, Elizabeth, Kait, Jen103, smithback, NorthernLights25, oceanluvr, HandsomHolly, porko-pride, Illa 321, a Guest, Micartell and PheonixAgent97 for reviewing these past chapters! Also to: HandsomHolly, fanfantasy07, nina-luvs-mnms, Got wrackspurts, AshLikesCash, GoddessOfTheFallen, GraysBetween, suli1606, Luna Ming and Micartell for putting this on their alerts. As well as: balletgirl925, queen of terror, and freakyfirefly555 for putting this on their favorites.

Enjoy!

**oOo**

Remus thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest very soon. His whole body was tense, uncomfortable, and nothing about this situation felt alright. He knew he had no right to be worried for the woman. Her skills were evident and obvious. She had the markings of a warrior, and while Professor Griffith was talented and experienced, it was clear he had never seen a battle.

All of Remus' senses seemed to be enhanced with the adrenaline rushing through him. He could see the fine lines that lined Miss Grey's frowning mouth. He could smell the cologne of the boy standing next to him. He could also practically see the aura of magic that was seeping off the seething professor.

Not much was said after Miss Grey agreed to duel. The two adults walked into the circle of protection. All the kids crowded as close as they could to it, pressing their noses to the barrier. Remus placed his hand on the shell and felt the magic pulse at him reproachfully. He looked around and saw that some of his peers, like the little Ravenclaw girl, looked angry. Frank was one of them and Remus was glad that some others mirrored his feelings.

Someone bumped into him and Remus turned to see Sirius on his other side. Wide, worried eyes peered from the Animagus' face.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Padfoot asked softly.

Remus swallowed. As much as he trusted Miss Grey's abilities he was truthfully very nervous for her. What if something went wrong? If Professor Griffith overpowered her, Remus did not know what he would do.

The intensity of his emotions was overwhelming and confusing. He did not trust himself to answer but tapped the barrier significantly. Sirius noticed the gesture and nodded. Wordlessly, they began plotting with the skills borne from years of being Marauders.

oOo

Professor Griffith forwent the courtesy of a salute while Hermione could only manage a mocking flick of her wand. She imperceptibly checked the barrier, took a count of the children surrounding it and assessed her opponent. Fresh ink stained his fingers and the muscles in his neck were taught. He was skin and bones but energy radiated off of him. Variables like these flew through her mind as she attempted to figure out the man.

_Hogwarts: A History_ was invaluable in telling her that the jinx on the DADA teaching position started after Voldemort gained power, but did nothing to let her know what kind of dueler this man was. Was he scrappy like Bellatrix? Composed and arrogant like Lucius?

They both slammed up their shields before even thinking about offense. There was a particular difference between practice duels and duels that put survival on the line. In practice duels, one could take their time with calling out the names of spells and truly thinking over the best counter-attack. In a duel for life, most everything was the first non-verbal spell one could think of.

It was so now. All Hermione could recognize was the strength and class of a spell. Jinxes and hexes flew past her at alarming speeds. She stayed mostly on the defensive, waiting for an opening.

Her pulse thrummed in her throat, choking her airways. Her limbs were weak with adrenaline and the fear of being in a tense situation. She could feel the desperation threatening to consume her. Hermione was angry but she hated fighting more. The woman just wanted this to be over.

She fired off a few spells. One of them was a stinging jinx that hit Professor Griffith right in the face. He stumbled back, throwing his arm over the affected area. When it pulled away, his skin was crimson with both the effects of the spell and rage.

Before, his spells had been fierce. Clearly he had been trying to win the fight as soon as possible. But now they were even worse. Hermione dodged and returned, landing a Backfiring jinx and allowing her to get a few shots in. She could see the man getting more and more upset and she only worried when he did take the time to speak out a spell.

"_Crucio_!"

In that split second, terror like Hermione had experienced only once before took a hold of her. Her throat closed up, her vision blurred, her skin was burning and she could not breathe. She was having a panic attack and could not dodge the Unforgivable. As the spell made its way towards her, she felt like she was in another place in another, terrible time.

oOo

"Crucio!"

_Pain shot like fire down her spine and into her extremities, and she was unable to contain the scream of agony that burst from her throat. She could vaguely hear Bellatrix Lestrange screeching at her to tell her about the vault, about the sword, and then the pain would intensify again. _

_After an eternity, the pain receded, and Hermione opened her eyes. _

"_What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"_

_Hermione had never known such fear as she did in that moment._

"_What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! _CRUCIO!_"_

oOo

The spell made impact and the Gryffindor fell.

Words: 880

**oOo**

Coming up: The Marauders are not idle.

*Note: The flashback comes directly from _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_, chapter 23. Also, in my attempts to make up for my previous cliffhangers, I seem to end up giving you an even worse one. Oy.

Anon Review Replies:

Elizabeth: I hope that chapter answered some of your questions (even if it made new ones haha). I see what you mean about Snape and the "professor growlith" part made me laugh. Thanks for your review and I will think about your suggestions.

Kait: Thanks for reviewing, I appreciated your compliment!

Smithback: Thanks!

A Guest: I understand if you do. No hard feelings.

PheonixAgent97: You're not sorry if you don't log in. ;) Haha just playing. I'm leaving what he said up to you guys as the audience.


	61. Battles

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing with her ideas.

My overwhelming gratitude goes to: warewolf-princess558750, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, FromAshesBorne, BooDiamond, Elizabeth, a Guest, HandsomHolly, Morita-te, DynamicCheetah, porko-pride, KEZZ 1, AngelGirl5, flyingberry and Illa 321. Also to: Hayleygibson and DancingFish for putting this on their alerts.

Enjoy!

**oOo**

Everyone watched as Miss Grey's eyes rolled back into her head and crumpled to the ground. Her knees gave out, her wand hand went slack and her neck fell back. She hit with a hard thud and convulsed like a woman possessed.

Remus could feel the blood draining out of his face, but he was already moving as soon as Professor Griffith got the word out.

"Sirius!" The werewolf cried.

"On it!" His friend confirmed, gathering up his magic and throwing it at the border. If there was one thing Sirius was good at, it was getting into places he was not supposed to. Remus knew better than to help, he would just get his spells tangled up in Sirius', making them useless.

James was herding everyone away from the shield as it shuddered with the onslaught. Someone called "_Expecto Patronum!_"

Wand in hand, Remus only had eyes for the Professor. A low growl built in the lycanthrope's throat. He was going to pay the professor pay. He crouched, waiting to spring, moving mostly on instinct.

How _dare_ that bastard hurt Miss Grey.

Remus could hear her. He could hear her screams of pain and how she choked on her own bile.

The shield cracked. Remus saw red.

Professor Griffith stalked up to the shuddering woman at his feet. The man was clearly gone by now, too focused on getting revenge on the person who showed him up. "Crucio." He stated almost calmly. His face was still distorted by the stinging spell.

Miss Grey's back arched and she clutched at the ground in agony. People were screaming, horrified.

"Sirius!" Remus yelled, frustrated.

With a grunt, Sirius threw his whole body behind the action and with a twirl and a slash, the shield disintegrated.

Remus took off, his friends behind him. He managed to shoot off a Knockback jinx. It threw Griffith clear across the room. The unsuspecting professor slammed into the wall and slumped down. Shocked, he looked around with wide eyes and eventually saw his attacker. Professor Griffith raised his wand but the enraged werewolf was faster.

"_Levicorpus_!" Remus shouted, his voice coarse and his manner feral.

Professor Griffith flew up but before Remus could follow it up, there was a weak voice from behind them.

"_Orbis_!" A feminine voice declared.

The floating Professor spun as if he was stuck in a tornado of blue lightning and flew towards the earth, where the stones parted to swallow him up. Blue sparks surrounded his head, which was the only thing visible above the ground.

There were gasps and Remus looked behind him, shocked. There, being helped up by Frank and the Ravenclaw girl was Miss Grey. She stared past Remus towards the Professor with a grim expression. With his managed mouth was yelling expletives at her and at the children, futilely wriggling his neck in an attempt to free himself.

Miss Grey lifted her wrist and weakly cast: "_Petrificus totalus._" She not so gracefully pushed her helpers away. They protested but the fire in her eyes silenced them. The woman started towards the Professor, shuddering and stumbling on unsteady knees.

Horrified and hurting on her behalf, Remus moved to help. She brushed past him with surprising force and her rejection stung. No one else moved.

"You," she whispered hoarsely. The barely-there sound reverberated throughout the Hall as if she had screamed. Her words were like spears. They seemed to cut through Remus' heart and he was not even the one she was talking to. As she spoke however, her volume grew.

"You are a _pathetic, vile, loathsome_ excuse for a man. You are a bastard who would insult your own students for the sake of your pride! If you weren't going to Azkaban, I would tear you apart myself for what you did to me!" She _was_ screaming now. Her whole body was shaking and she was hunched over. She spat in his face and collapsed.

The doors flew open for the second time that night and everyone, even Remus jumped. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey strode in. Remus had never seen any of them look so furious before.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Dumbledore thundered, making some of the younger students whimper.

Sirius strode up, looking fiercer than Remus had ever seen. "The professor used an_ Unforgivable _on Miss Grey _twice_!"

Even the usually stoic McGonagall looked shocked as they turned to the two other adults in the room. Madame Pomfrey moved into swift action but was stopped by an outstretched hand.

Miss Grey had been sitting on the ground, her limbs strewn around her. Her hand clutched her middle and her now dark brown, extremely curly hair wildly haloed around her. Her jaw seemed stronger than before, less delicate. Her lips were not as full, her nose now tiny and curved instead of long and straight. Her eyes, however… Those eyes of hers were the same Remus knew by heart.

She looked up at her frozen audience.

"This was never in the contract, Headmaster." Miss Grey rasped. Tears were streaming down her pale face. "I agreed to aid in the battle… but never the war. Not again."

Before anyone could move out of their shock, a wind kicked up and a bright orb of magic wrapped around her, hiding her from view. When the light and wind died away, she was gone.

oOo

In the corner, a misguided little boy sat in the corner, horrified at what he had inadvertently done. His friends were going to kill him.

Words: 921

**oOo**

Coming up: We find out where Hermione went.

Anon Review Replies:

Elizabeth: Sometimes you can't end things quickly, especially in a physical fight. We like to think Hermione is invincible but in the end, she's really not. She's just a scholar that got drafted in a war that wanted to destroy her kind and her best friend. **\Public Service Announcement time:** Also (speaking from experience) you can't hold off a panic attack. You tend to get them at the worst times (driving on the freeway, in the middle of class), even when you're fighting with your whole might to hold them off. **Announcement Over****_/ _**Anyway, thanks for your reviews. I do enjoy them and I like your insights.

Guest: I stop at the scene breaks, 'cause I really don't have time to write more. But it just makes me look sadistic haha. Thanks for the review.


	62. Sentience

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

As always my motivation is largely due to the wonderful reviewers like: LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, TheFantabulousPotterHead, flyingberry, NorthernLights25, KEZZ 1, warewolf-princess558750, Angel Girl5, Illa 321, Michelle Black a.k.a. Elle, Smithback and Elizabeth. Also to the kind jamiep6 who put this on their favorites. Thank you!

Enjoy!

**oOo**

_Harry the Auror no longer thought of risk taking like he did when he was a student. Harry the Student saw risk taking as a necessary step to forward his goals for knowledge and for the sake of the Wizarding World. Harry the Auror now saw risk taking as dangerous and something that should be avoided (or left to the professionals) at any cost._

_Hermione got frustrated with Harry the Auror a lot. Mostly because he and Ron had fought so hard to make her a rule-breaker and when she finally gave in, they decided to become the Law. _

_"__Is it safe?"_

_That was an Auror question. It always drove Hermione insane. She worked with vampires and werewolves on a daily basis. She experimented on Potions, where it was little more than throwing a lot of magically unstable properties at each other and hoping they did not explode. She consulted on matters of Dark Magic. Honestly, time travel was_ not_ the most dangerous thing she was doing with her time. _

_She threw Harry an expressive look. He threw one right back._

_"__Hermione…" He warned. _

_She slumped on her stool, defeated. "Fine. Come here." _

_The two of them were in Hermione's office, now converted into a makeshift lab. She had a large worktable in the middle of the room, filled with books and research papers on one side, an unlit cauldron on the other. In the middle was her time travel device. It looked kind of like the Time-Turner. An hour glass with blood orange sand incased in a circle. The lights were dimmed but the sheer magic of the thing radiated enough light for them to see._

_"__What do you know of computers, Harry?"_

_He shrugged. "You can store information on them… They compute things."_

_Bingo. Right on target._

_"__Exactly. They compute things. They analyze numbers that we cannot. In some circles, they are even dubbed as 'intelligent.'"_

_Harry raised a brow._

_"__Stay with me Harry, I promise I'm making this as painless as I can." She motioned at the device in front of her. "In the same way, a Time-Turner or any other piece of time traveling equipment has to have 'intelligence' as well. I can tell it to take me however many hours I need to get to June 5__th__, 1941, but it has to take into account things that can affect time. Like leap years, solar flares, changes in the calendar. Of course, I would have to do an extreme amount of research to make sure we both are on target." She waved that off and Harry correctly took that to mean he would not fully understand that part of things._

_"__So all these calculations require computing power. But while Muggle computers use numbers and bits of impersonal data, magical objects require well… magic. And items of that power and size end up having a bit of… sentience."_

_"__Sentience?"_

_"__They can… well you could say that they are almost capable of thinking for themselves."_

_Harry reeled back and Hermione caught him before he went too far._

_"__You _could_ interpret it as that. Let me finish. When wizards make objects of this kind, they have to imbed their own magic to make it work. Like God breathing life into Adam, or a sculptor using his own energy and muscle to chisel away at marble. That means my magical life force is now imbedded into this machine."_

_"__And what does that mean?" Harry looked like he had a headache._

_"__It means that in a way, we're tied together. If something happens, the modified Time-Turner would hypothetically be able to sense my failing life force and return me to when I was last safe."_

_"__It would be able to save you?"_

_"__Hypothetically," she corrected meekly. _

_There was a long pause where Harry the Auror stared Hermione the Researcher down. "I really don't like your hypothetical situations Hermione."_

_She could have argued that she was in more danger of the Time-Turner failing to bring her back to the present, or of her getting spliced by the magic than of something happening to her in the 1970s. Or she could have argued that using any kind of new technology had its inherent dangers. But instead, she went for something that would allow her to win._

_"__It's for Neville."_

_Harry had no comeback._

Words: 720

**oOo**

*The sentience idea of powerful magical objects was inspired by Rurouni Star's _Out of Time_ and the sequel. They're some pretty good stories with a nice SB/HG focus if you want to check them out.

Anon Review Replies:

Elizabeth: Touche. I am glad you liked the end. I was mostly saying that even though she can fight, she's not the most athletic. So while she was trying to end the duel, she was still unable to due to the advantage Professor Griffith had (he is more experienced and a dude throwing his weight around can be formidable indeed). But I also acknowledge what you said and I'm not trying to argue your (valid) points away. Thanks for reviewing, it's nice when someone has a different viewpoint than mine and we don't have to fight about it haha.

Smithback: Hey! Thanks for the review, and yes, that part will be answered.


	63. Comfort

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Rushed posting, but I did try to respond to all the signed in reviews (and wonderful PMs). Thanks to everyone who is showing their support.

Enjoy!

**oOo**

Once, even before her Hogwarts letter, Hermione came down with a bad case of the flu. Tired, weepy and shivering, Hermione had been wrapped in two thick blankets as her mother watched worriedly. The woman had even taken a rare day off from the practice to take care of her little daughter. Seeing that Hermione was unable to sleep, her mother began to hum and comb her fingers through the girl's hair.

Hermione remembered the feeling. Even completely miserable, she was able to take comfort from her mother's comforting actions. The gentle touch of her mother and the soft crooning had been etched in Hermione's memory. She clutched it greedily as she lay writhing in a strange bed.

The pain was beyond comprehension. Every time Hermione thought she might get relief, she started shivering so hard that her teeth clacked together painfully and it felt like lighting coursing through her veins. Clear minded Hermione would know this drawn out reaction was because of all the times she had been exposed to the Cruciatus curse. One of the sinister caveats to the spell was that the pain actually got worse every time it was used on someone. Analytically speaking, Hermione would have worried about possible brain damage or injury to her nerve receptors.

But this was not that Hermione. This instead was a base creature, fighting against the misery that threatened to consume her. All she had space in her mind for was the fire in her body and how she needed peace in her wretchedness.

The Room of Requirement, Hermione's saving grace, was also sentient like her Time-Turner. It heard Hermione's cries and listened to the intent of her heart. She needed human company, it decided, and made it so.

Words: 290

**oOo**

Ick. Sorry about the short(-er than usual) chapter. I'm working on another one, but I have a couple of _big_ tests coming up, so that takes priority. Thank you so much for your patience.


	64. Abscond

All Harry Potter properties belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Another rushed posting. But I did want to call out zuperankie, smithback, Elizabeth and a couple of guests for reviewing since I cannot just send them a message and answer (most of) them. Zuperankie, your review for 61 almost made me die laughing, it was so great. Thanks. Also thank you very much smithback for your well-wishes. I will take them with me into my classroom. To everyone else, I take every show of support as a sign that I must be doing something well and it is very motivating. Thank you all.

Enjoy!

**oOo**

"Those wankers." There was a sigh. "Sometimes I just _hate_ bein' in Ravenclaw with those bloody-_OW_!" There was a large thump and the sound of books being dropped.

Once the girl had picked herself off the ground with a lot of gratuitous cursing and grumbling, she stopped to look at what she had run into. The girl had managed to crash into an open door sticking out in the middle of the corridor…

…That had not been there before. But that was impossible. She did not feel silly making that claim either. Alice had been blessed-or cursed, depending on her mood-with photographic memory. She r_emembered_ this stretch. The door was definitely new.

To her left was a dark, gaping doorway and the sight of it confused her. Was she in the right corridor? Alice quickly picked up her books and backtracked around a corner. Yup, there was that picture of Melvin the Weepy (goodness, some wizards had awful monikers). So this was still the hallway that led to a secluded alcove that she liked to curl up and study in.

"Am I really just that dumb that I never noticed a door there?" She asked the air. Melvin just sobbed louder.

"Oh shaddup!" Alice rolled her eyes at the portrait and hustled over to the doorway.

She knew that sticking her head into inky pits of darkness was never a good idea. But Alice never pretended that she had any inkling of common sense whenever her curiosity was piqued. Clutching her books to her chest-because she was willing to lose her head to the darkness but not her school supplies-the young girl cautiously stuck her head through the portal.

And found a cozy little room.

It looked for all intents and purposes like someone's bedroom at home. There was a fireplace on her right with a beautiful fire crackling, providing the only light. Across from her, were a desk with an empty cauldron and potion supplies on it, and a floor to ceiling bookshelf full of thick tomes. A window looked out into the moors and there was another door tucked into a corner that probably led to a closet or bathroom. Everything was furnished in earthy tones and the sight of the dimly lit room made Alice instantly relax.

In the middle of the room was a large bed. It took up most of room. The pillows and comforter looked so puffy, it seemed like there was a person in there.

Suddenly, the blankets shifted and Alice gasped. There _was_ a person in there. Feeling like an intruder, she pulled back, ready to flee. A strangled cry from the bed stopped her. Then it sounded again, a groan not dissimilar to one a dying person would make.

Alice rushed over, not even stopping to consider any ramifications of her actions. Someone needed help. That was good enough for her.

The cries would die off and then continue even worse than before. It pained and scared Alice a bit. What was happening to this person?

The girl peered over the edge of the bed. There, cocooned in the clay colored blanket was a mass of curly brown hair. Suddenly, the person turned to face Alice and the girl dropped her books in complete shock.

She recognized that face. She had only seen it for a split second, but that was all she needed. From the thin lips to the round jaw.

"Miss Grey!" She gasped.

Unbeknownst to Alice, the door behind her quietly _snicked_ closed, and in the hallway, the outline of the portal faded back into the stone wall.

Words: 600

**oOo**

People asked me for a Sirius POV and I ended up giving them an Alice POV instead. Whoops.


End file.
